The Path of Ice
by BlueBlizzard1725
Summary: After the death of her two parents, a loner and her sister join Windclan. She soon discovers dark secrets that would have been better left alone. Though she doesn't know it yet, these secrets will be tied with her for the rest of her life and the influence they will have on her will impact the entire forest.
1. Life if Simple

**_More Description~_**

_Follow Icy on her path to becoming a warrior of Windclan. But not everything will be as simple as it first appears. Her entrance into the world of the clans will be her first steps into a life of joy, adventure, suspense, love, heartbreak, distrust and more. While life goes on and she continued to face these challenges, an even bigger plan begins forming that will affect every cat in the forest._

_(Chapters later on are much longer)_

_Chapter 1_

She heard rustling in the bushes around her as Icy, the young loner, crept through the forest floor as swiftly as possible. She tried to blend in to the surroundings though it was difficult with her pure white fur and gleaming blue eyes.

A sudden movement in the trees caught her attention. Icy looked over but whatever it was, was already fleeing in the other direction. Icy ran after it, already knowing what and who she was chasing.

She circled around its path, planning to cut the cat off. She had to quicken her pace in order to eventually pass it.

Icy soon caught up and tackled the other cat from the side when she leaped out of the bushes. They rolled out of the trees and down a hill. The two white she-cats yowled and hissed as they finally landed in a single shrub at the base of the hill.

"Alright, break it up you two," said a lean she-cat who just walked up to the two cats. She was white with a light grey back. Her fur was smooth and shining and obviously well-groomed.

They tore themselves apart then started laughing together.

"Yes mother," they both said in unison.

"Ever since you girls became 4 moons old, all you have been doing is fighting," sighed the mother as she shifted her weight.

"We have to practice for when we're older and explore like father," said Cloud, Icy's sister. "Where is he anyway?"

Icy and Clouds' father, Shadowthorn, was a former warrior of Windclan. He left to be with his mate, Lilly. Now, he often leaves to explore surrounding areas but he's never gone long. The kits where expecting their father to be back later that day.

"He will be back by sundown. But for now, let's get back inside the barn before the dogs get out," Lilly responded before turning around.

The three cats walked into the barn. It was used by twolegs but they never bothered the family of cats. But a pack of dogs wondered nearby, which often threatened them. That was why Lilly was often worried about her mate but he always returned safely.

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Lilly, Icy, and Cloud all sat together in the barn after the sun went down. Their mother was grooming Icy and Clouds' fur and no matter how much they complained, she refused to stop until the kits fur sparkled.

Icy would rather not sit through it but it a strange way, she was always glad when her mother didn't stop as they requested.

She only stopped when they heard a voice in another part of the barn.

"Anyone here?" said their father as he walked through the entrance. The three cats jumped up and Icy and Cloud ran up and tackled their father with excitement. Shadowthorn was a brown, muscular tom with black stripes. Strangely enough, he looked nothing like his kits.

"Father, you're finally home!" squealed Cloud. "We missed you so much!"

Shadowthorn purred and responded, "I've only been gone a day."

Lilly calmly walked over with a soft smile across her face.

"Welcome home, Shadowthorn. It's late and you've been gone all day; you must be tired."

"I am. I think we should all get some sleep now," the brown and black tom replied, glancing at the two young kits.

Icy and Cloud reluctantly curled up in their nest of hay while Shadowthorn and Lilly walked together to another part of the barn to talk like they often did after he returned from 'exploring.'

"Are you sure? Maybe you looked at it wrong," said Lilly with a worried tone.

"No, I'm sure I saw correctly. That pack of dogs was heading in this direction," Shadownthorn said urgently.

Lilly sighed and shifted her paws around. If the dogs where coming here, she had no doubt they would try to attack the barn. If Icy or Cloud got hurt, she wouldn't know what to do with herself.

"Maybe they turned around at some point… And if they do come here, I won't let them lay a paw on my kits," Lilly announced protectively.

"I hope you're right," Shadowthorn muttered. "But if something were to happen to us-"

Lilly interrupted him. "Nothing bad will happen to any of us. Nothing has happened before and nothing will happen now!" They had the same conversation before and the she-cat never liked hearing Shadowthorn play the what-if game.

"But if something does, we need to make sure our kits have a place to go," Shadowthorn said.

"Oh no; I know where you're going with this. I don't want them to get tangled in the clans," meowed Lilly stubbornly.

"It's not as dangerous as you think. It'll be the only family they have left."

"No. I refuse to agree to this. Nothing will happen to us. Please stop talking like that, Shadowthorn."

The tom sighed. "Alright, I'll drop it for now. I don't want you to worry. But this conversation is not over."

Shadowthorn stood up and walked past Lilly. He quickly said goodnight and lovingly licked her ear before going to his nest, not wanting them to end the night on an even slightly angry conversation.

Lilly sighed once more and looked out a nearby window and into the night sky, wondering where those dogs are now. She waited a moment then stood up and slowly walked to the nest to join Shadowthorn.

At times like these, she couldn't help but wonder...

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Icy quickly fell asleep after curling up in the nest next to her sister. Though she fell asleep with a smile, her dream that night wasn't as pleasant as she was hoping.

She found herself in a dark forest, feeling more alone then she ever had in her life. It was misty and she felt herself shiver in the cold darkness. She felt trapped by the intense feeling of danger around her. Icy scanned the area; the tree tops where rustling as the ominous wind blew violently through the leaves above her. As she looked up, even through the branches, she saw no stars.

She heard a voice but couldn't understand what it was saying very well. The voice seemed to be coming from every direction. Finally, Icy had enough.

She suddenly dashed away from the area, wanting to get away as soon as possible. Her heart was racing from fear of being followed. She couldn't help but look behind her as she ran, but saw nothing. When the white kit turned her head back around, she found herself in a clearing packed with other cats that didn't seem to notice her at all.

There was a large tree in the middle of the clearing. On a branch high in the tree, sat a tall cat, looking down at the large amount of cats, as if in control of them. The cat looked strong and prideful. Icy noticed the cat looked a bit familiar, yet couldn't figure out who it was.

On another even higher branch, Icy saw another cat, looking down with a sinister grin. This cat looked very muscular; someone who would demand respect and power. This cat was standing closer to the tree itself, mostly hidden in the leaves, unnoticed by the cats below.

Then suddenly, the branch the first cat was on broke and the tall cat fell into the ground of spectators. Right after that, the cat who was hiding came out of the leaves and farther up on the branch, now seen by the others.

Icy wasn't quite sure why, but she knew the cat had bad intentions. In a word, she believed the cat could be evil. She didn't want to see this either. She began to back up to leave, but she was suddenly frozen into place.

The wind stopped and all the voiced went dead. At this moment, Icy wasn't sure if she was even breathing. Then everything want dark. All the cats, the trees, and the sky went black so she could no longer see a thing. She couldn't even see herself.

Now, she was completely alone. Darkness surrounded her. She almost felt crushed. But the pain lightened and soon it was gone completely. The darkness turned to light. And that's when she heard a voice. "You cannot avoid your destiny. But you can change it."

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**A/N: Well I hope you all liked chapter 1. I have much more planned for Icy and co. I plan to make this story pretty long, for those who like that sort of thing. Also, the later chapters get much longer than this one. If anyone has comments, questions, or anything else, please don't hesitate to give me a review. :)**

**P.S. While reading through, you will find a few errors. More than I would like. It's not because I'm a bad speller, I'm just typing too fast. I will be going through the chapters and fixing them but I won't be able to do much until the story is finished. So please bear with me if you plan to keep reading. I hope you do; you won't regret it. ^-^**

**Have a nice day~**


	2. The Dogs

_Chapter 2_

Icy woke with a start from her dream. She was breathing deeply. She looked around the barn and saw her sister and parents where already awake.

Though she didn't want to, Icy couldn't help but remember the dream in her mind. It was so clear to her, which only made it seem more frightening. What did it all mean? Those two cats she saw on the branches of the large trees stuck out the most to her. Who were they? And why did it feel like Icy knew them both from somewhere? She doesn't even know many cats. And no one like the two she saw last night.

The thought made her shudder. Whatever was in her dream, it did not seem good. Icy took a deep and tried to push the dream out of her mind. That only worked for a moment before she began thinking about it again.

She sighed to herself. Icy quickly decided to get the thought out of her mind by getting up.

She joined her sister who was waiting by the barn door for their parents. Lilly and Shadowthorn soon returned with four plump mice in their jaws. Finally something to get her mind off of it!

The family ate together. While she ate, Icy soon remembered what her father told her a few days ago. Icy and Cloud were too excited to eat slowly anyway, now that they realized what was going to happen next. Shadowthorn said he would show them some battle and hunting techniques the day after he came back from exploring. Though Lilly was never fond of the idea, Shadowthorn managed to convince her that if the kits knew of ways to protect and hunt for themselves, they would be much better off in the end.

Though as the three walking outside, a thought occurred to Icy. She was sure Cloud would do better at the training then she would. Cloud just seems to be a quick learner and Icy had to practice every time she tried something. Like when they started play fighting in the bushes on the hill not far from the barn. Cloud would always be the one to pin Icy down. Even when Icy was supposed to chase her and Cloud was supposed to run.

She sighed and followed them out into the field.

"So, let's begin," Shadowthorn said when he turned to the kits. "I showed you some moves before you were six moons, but now that you're both old enough, we can start to challenging stuff."

"Yay" Cloud and Icy cheered, glad to be learning something more advanced.

"I know how you two like the play fight, and someone always gets pinned down," Shadownthorn said, now sitting. "But with this, getting pinned won't mean the game is over." The dark grey tom quickly tackled Cloud with no warning and pinned her down.

"Hey no fair," complained Cloud as she tried to hold in a laugh.

Shadowthorn continued, "If you get pinned down, you can use your hind legs to kick your enemy off of you, or you can try to bite their front legs. But try not to go that far. I don't want anyone getting hurt if you're just playing." Shadowthorn let Cloud go and he moved back in front of both of them. "Now you two try it."

Icy was about to turn to Cloud, but she didn't get a chance two when she found Cloud already on top of her, holding her to the ground. Icy was expecting this to happen, though she didn't react quickly enough.

Icy tried to kick off her sister with her hind legs, as Shadowthorn showed her. It didn't take long for her to push Cloud off, but she could help but wonder if she _let_ her push her off. Though whether she was right or not, Icy decided to just go with it.

She stood back up and faced Cloud, guessing she would want to try to throw her off too. Icy tackled her sister when she wasn't watching and was able to pin her down. Cloud was able to through Icy off right away because Icy was smaller than Cloud.

"It seems you two got it already," Shadowthorn told them, approvingly. "Of course, that was only one move out of many that I can teach you. Also, that was actually a simple one. Let's try something else now…."

Icy and Cloud sat patiently in front of their father while he thought of what else he could teach them.

"Oh how about the-" Shadowthorn paused when he heard a noise in the stalks of corn next to the field. "What was that?" Icy asked quietly.

The field was silent for a moment that to Icy, felt much longer than it actually was. Then the cats heard a growl and a shape started reveal itself from the corn.

Icy and Cloud gasped in fear at the sight of a dreadful beast slowly walked out of the stalks, snarling at the three cats.

"DOG!" Screamed Icy and Cloud when they saw it appear and raced back to the barn. The dog barked loudly and started to chase them, until Shadowthorn stole its attention back clawing its snout. The dog yelped from pain, but quickly retaliated and charged for him, baring its dangerous set of teeth.

Meanwhile, when Icy and Cloud got to the barn door, Lilly found them shaking in fear. "What happening out there?" she asked the kits, suddenly worried. Before either of them answered, Lilly ran out of the barn to see what scared the two so much. "Shadowthorn" she yelled when she saw him fighting off the vicious animal. Icy and Cloud trailed their mother to the door.

"Stay inside you two. I'll go help your father. But stay here," she told them, sternly.

"But I want to help," Icy complained. "We can fight," Cloud added.

"For your own safety, you must stay out of this," their mother said. And without giving them any more time to argue, the rushed into the field to help battle the dogs with her mate.

Icy and Cloud were forced to stay out of the fight, though they desperately wanted to help their parents. "What do we do now?" Icy asked her sister as they watched the fight.

"Mother told us to stay here…. That's all we can do now," Cloud sighed, obviously upset with her own answer.

Icy sighed and watched her parents fight the large dog. Was there really nothing she could do? She didn't want to drag Cloud into anything and didn't want her mother to be mad at them afterwards. Besides, it was only one dog…

Shadowthorn jumped on the dogs back and sunk his claws into its pelt. The dog jumped in attempt to get him off. The tom began to lose his grip on the dog and was eventually flung off. Then Lilly came charging over and leaped into the dogs back with such sleep, she pushed the dog back a little. She then jumped off, turned to the dog and hissed. The dog yelped and ran back into the corn stalks.

"Are you alright?" Lilly asked Shadowthorn who was getting himself off of the ground.

"Yeah, I'm fine. But they'll be back," he told her.

"They? What do you mean by 'they?"

"That dog is part of the pack I saw earlier. It'll be back with some friends," he warned Lilly.

"They we have to get out of here! Before they come back," Lilly told him.

Shadowthorn nodded and the two were about to run back to the barn to get the kits and escape, until they heard rustling in the stalks and three more dogs charged out but the two cats were ready.

Shadowthorn jumped at the lead dog and landed on its head. The dog shook its head fiercely, trying to get the tom off. While Lilly attacked the second dog by clawing at its side as she ran by. The dog turned and grabbed Lilly in its jaw by her back and threw her into the field of corn.

"Lilly!" Shadowthorn called when he saw her fly into the corn.

He angrily brought his attention back on the dog that was trying to shake him off. He clawed at the dogs eyes and it yelped and shook the tom off. In the moment of blindness, Shadowthorn was able to jump at the dogs side and claw through its fur, which convinced the dog to flee, though Shadowthorn knew it might be back later. He saw one dog running in the direction of Lilly. He began to run forward to stop it, but the third dog came up behind him and snapped its powerful jaws on his tail.

The other dog was sniffing in the tall corn stalks, looking for where Lilly landed. But it was distracted from a voice behind it. "Hey!" called the young voice. "Over here, you mouse-brained dog!"

Shadowthorn looked over to the voice as well and saw Icy and Cloud standing a ways away from the battle.

"Icy! Cloud! Get out of here," Shadowthorn commanded when he had a chance. The dog barked and ran towards them.

Icy and Cloud quickly turned around and started running towards the barn.

_Wait, if we go in the barn, we'll be cornered, _Icy thought to herself as she ran next to her sister. She quickened her pace, passing Cloud and began moving their route around the barn. Cloud got the idea immediately and followed in her path. They ran around the barn as the dog tailed them, getting closer and closer with every passing heartbeat.

They circled the barn and, having nowhere else to go, ran back towards the battle.

Shadowthorn was still fighting the other dog. He was injured and his grey fur was covered with blood from his and the dogs wounds, yet he refused to quit.

Icy's heart was racing. She quickly looked for a place where she and her sister could be safe. They were already heading towards the corn stalks, so she figured they could lose the dog in there.

Icy and Cloud sprinted into the tall corn stalks and the dog followed them, closing in on them. Cloud looked behind them as they ran through the field of corn and saw the dog stopped following them. They both stopped running and finally relaxed, hoping they gave their father enough time to fight off the other dog, so now he can fight off the last one.

Icys legs where shaking and she sat down next to Cloud.

The second dog eventually ran off. He noticed they seemed a little weak, or maybe tired, from the beginning. But the last dog came up behind him from the corn. Shadowthorn was breathing heavily and he had numerous wounds and scratches covering his body. The dogs put up a fight. He wasn't sure if he could fight off this last one. But he was still going to try.

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**A/N: Well, I'm glad my chapters are getting longer. I could have added more to this one, but I figured I could just stop it here. I hope everyone is enjoying reading this as much as I'm enjoying writing it. I have many surprised in store that no one will see coming! =D**

******Have a nice day~**


	3. Strength in Pain

_Chapter 3_

Icy and Cloud finally had a chance to catch their breath. They both agreed the dog was no longer looking for them. They were a ways away from where their father was, and couldn't hear what was happening. Unsure if it was safe to come out, the two sisters decided to search for their mother in the corn field.

She has to be around here somewhere, Icy thought to herself as she and Cloud wondered. They saw where the dog threw her but she was nowhere to be seen. They desperately wanted to know if Lilly was okay.

They eventually stopped walking and stood in silence, listening for a sound that might indicate where their mother was. Maybe she was already up and fighting the last dog off with Shadowthorn. The idea lightened their worries but they both thought that had to know for sure.

Then Cloud heard something. The faint noise sounded like a moan. They quietly snuck in the direction of the sound. As they walked, they spotted blood on the ground in various places and many corn stalks were crooked or pressed against the ground. The closer they got, everything they saw just got worse. Until they saw her; Lilly was laying on her side. Her fur was stained with blood and she was covered with nasty wounds. The two sisters ran up to their mothers' side.

"Mother," they gasped when they saw her.

How did this happen? No, now everything made sense. Why she wasn't where she first landed, the silence in the field, why the dog suddenly stopped chasing them. It all fit together. The dog Icy and Cloud brought back into the stalks of corn stopped chasing them when it found Lilly. And that's how she ended up like this!

"Mother…. This is all our fault," Icy said quietly at her mothers' side.

The she-cats' eyes were closed but she was still breathing. "You… Must not blame yourself," Lilly weakly told them. "I am sorry… For always holding you back when your father wanted you to learn."

"No mother," Cloud said softly, "If we listened to you, this wouldn't have happened…."

"Nothing could have stopped this…." Lilly paused for a moment. She looked up at the two kits and their worried faces looking down at her; they said a thousand words to her. Lilly thought for a moment. "Listen, you two," she coughed some blood up on the ground. "You need to find Windclan and join them."

Icy and Cloud suddenly went from upset to confusion and shocked. Shadowthorn often spoke of the clans but Lilly always openly stated how she didn't want the kits to join. Why did she suddenly change her mind?

"You need to learn how to survive in this world without your parents looking after you. And that is the only place that will teach you," Lilly said slowly. She was using every bit of her energy to guide her kits for the last time. "I know you two will make great warriors… Icy…. And Cloud…. I will always love… you." She looked up at them and smiled. She then lost their gaze rested her head against the ground.

"No mother! Please, don't leave us," Icy begged, trying to fight back to tears swelling in her eyes. But it was too late. They both knew their mother was dead.

"Come on… We have to find father," Cloud said to her sister, trying to hold in the tears but to very little avail. "And tell him what happened."

Icy nodded, though she didn't want to leave. She wanted to stay here and mourn her mother. Though she knew as much as Cloud did that they have to tell Shadowthorn what Lilly said.

As the kits where about to leave, they heard a distant howl. It was from a dog, probably the leader. The sisters guessed it was to single a retreat. After the one call from the leader, they heard some barking and soon it faded. They knew the dogs where gone and hoped they won't be back.

Though it was hard, Icy and Cloud both dragged themselves away from their mother and made their way out of the corn stalks. Now they just had to find Shadowthorn.

Once they got out of the corn stalks, they didn't see Shadowthorn anywhere. Already tired and upset, they decided to walk along the side of the corn field until they find him. Eventually, they saw a small gap in the corn up ahead that looked pressed down. Curious in what it could be, they ran forward. But the sight was gruesome. They saw Shadowthorn on the ground. Like Lilly, he was covered in blood.

The kits gasped when they saw him and ran to his side.

"Father, not you too," Icy cried.

Shadowthorn wasn't moving. Though they didn't say it, both were positive he was dead too.

Cloud sat down and stared at the ground.

"Why did this happen to us…?" Cloud muttered. Both sisters sat in silence for a moment, mourning over their lost parents.

"Icy," Cloud said, finally breaking the silence. "We have to be strong. Father told us about Starclan before. They're up there right now, watching us. We have to be strong so they don't worry."

Icy looked up at her sister. She was trying to be strong. And she was right. Icy looked at the sky. The sun was beginning to go now. She wondered if her parents really were watching them. "Your right," Icy replied. "We need to find Windclan… We can go tomorrow.

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The sun was long gone and the moon was high in the sky by the time Icy and Cloud returned to the barn. After discovering the death of both parents, they took them both up to the hill next to the barn. It was covered by trees and bushes. The kits laid them down under their favorite tree. They stayed there for a while in silence until it got dark, then headed back to the barn. When they finally returned, the kits were very tired. It has been a long day for both of them.

The sisters curled up together in their nest, knowing it will be the last time they sleep in the barn. They planned on leaving for Windclan the next day like their mother told them. Though they heard many stories about the clans from Shadowthorn, neither of them felt prepared.

Icy woke up many times that night, always to see Cloud was still sleeping. Or at least, it seemed like it. That night, she felt weak. She looked over to her parents nest every time she found herself awake and reminded herself they were gone. And no matter how much she told herself to be strong, she wasn't able to stop herself from crying back to sleep. Every time she waited for sleep to take her again, Icy found herself thinking about her lost parents and only made her emotions harder to contain. _This is the longest night of my life._

That happened numerous times until she finally woke up and found it to be light outside.

She spotted Cloud headed for the barn door. "Cloud, wait up," she called as Icy stood up and ran to her side.

"Sorry, I didn't want to wake you," Cloud said once Icy joined her. "I was just about to go hunting. We don't know how far Windclan is from here. I would like to leave prepared.

Icy nodded and they walked out together. _What's going on with Cloud? _Icy thought to herself. Ever since their parents died, Icy noticed Cloud has been acting much more mature and responsible.

Icy and Cloud decided to split up and join back in the barn once they catch a mouse. It took a bit, but Icy finally found a mouse sneaking around one of the barns' walls. Remembering what Shadowthorn taught her, she got into position then ran forward. Icy pounced on the mouse but it slipped through her claws and fled towards a whole in the wall. She quickened her pace and managed to grab the mouse before it could run away and hastily killed it. Then she hurried back into the barn.

Cloud joined her not long after. They sat down next to each other and ate in silence. After they were done, they begun to plan the rest of the day.

"So, let's go over everything now," Cloud said. "We head east to Windclan. Once we notice any scent markings, we wait there for a border patrol. Once we meet one, we ask to join. If they don't want to let us, we mention that we have the clan blood."

Icy nodded, agreeing with the plan. They both thought it up together. Icy was sure everything will work out smoothly. They wouldn't deny two cats related to them, right?

After Icy and Cloud went over the plan and said their goodbyes to the barn, the two kits left for Windclan. All they could do now is hope it goes well.

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**A/N: Hey, thanks for reading! Everything so far is going along smoothly. Get ready, because we're about to see the clan! This is the moment you've all been waiting for.**

**Anyway, please leave a review and maybe even tell your friends. I will reply to any and every review that has a comment or question.**

**Have a nice day~**


	4. Into the Clan

_Chapter 4_

It took less time to find the Windclan territory then Icy and Cloud predicted. After crossing the field by the barn, they walked through an area of trees. The walk to Windclan was very uneventful but they were able to keep each other entertained by talking for most of the trip. They soon noticed a new scent in the area, which they guessed to be the Windclan border.

The cats looked out into the territory. It was a large moor, surrounded by trees in the distance. They didn't want to go too far into the territory, afraid of upsetting the warriors. They stopped walking were the trees end and sat down, watching for any cats.

"This place is so vast…. It makes me a bit nervous," Icy commented to her sister.

Cloud agreed. "We'll probably get used to it eventually though," she mentioned.

_If they even let us join, _Icy thought to herself. She and Cloud sat and waited by the border for a while. Neither of them had much to say anymore so they sat in silence and watched for any movement in the land.

Eventually, they saw some shapes walking up to them in the distance. Icy was trapped in suspense, only wondering what would happen when they got here. How would they act? Would the warriors welcome them into the clan or tell them to leave?

Three cats walked up to the young sisters. All were fully grown and looked strong. The cat in the middle was muscular with a dark brown pelt. He had a few black stripes on his back and his paws were black as well. He was bigger than the other two and kind of reminded Icy of her father.

The she-cat on the left had light brown fur with large, dark brown spots on her back. She was tall and slim. She walked almost elegantly which actually surprised the two white kits.

The last cat on the right had light grey fur with darker grey paws and ears. The tip of his tail was the darker shade of grey too. He was smaller than the others and obviously the youngest. He looked excited and inexperienced, yet confidant that he knew what he was doing.

"Who are you? What are you doing here? We don't allow outsiders in our territory!" The middle cat warned them, with a threatening voice. "Get out of here before we chase you out!"

Before either of them could respond, the she-cat spoke up. "Oh, calm down, Stormtooth. Their just kits," she said in a softer voice. Then she directed her attention to Icy and Cloud. "So what are you two doing here?

Cloud stood up to respond, trying to hold in her fear for the large cats. "W- we want to join Windclan."

"What makes you think we will let loners like you two join Windclan?" Stormtooth asked, coldly.

Cloud cleared her throat and waited a moment then spoke more calmly then before. "Well, our father was from Windclan. That is why we're here. Our parents are… uh, gone. We had nowhere else to go but here."

The three warriors exchanged some glances. Icy suddenly noticed the third grey cat was staying out of the conversation and just watching.

"So you have the warrior blood. And who was your father?" the she-cat asked them. For some reason, Cloud didn't answer. Icy didn't know why, maybe she was just hesitating.

"His name was Shadowthorn," Icy said, joining the conversation.

The three warriors' expressions suddenly went from cool and collected to utter shock. The all glanced at each other then took a few steps back and began whispering to each other, probably discussing what to do. The quickly finished then turned back to the sisters.

"Alright," Stormtooth said. "You can come with us to the camp and speak to our leader. He will decide if you can join us or not."

Icy and Cloud light up with excitement at the news.

"Thank y-" Icy began, but Stormtooth interrupted. "Don't get your hopes up," he hissed, then turned around and started walking. The four cats followed him back, heading back to camp.

The she cat walked next to the kits. "Don't mind Stormtooth. He can't help but act like that," she sighed. "By the way, my name is Leopardflower."

"Nice to meet you, Leopardflower," Cloud said, glad to meet a nice cat for once.

The grey tom joined them on the other side of the two kits. "Hey," he said with a smile. "My name is Snowpelt. I got my warrior name a few days ago. Although…. You may not know much about the clans, huh?"

"Actually, our father told us a lot about the clans," Icy told the jumpy warrior. "So even though we've never lived here before, we know how it works."

Snowpelt nodded then slowed down. Leopardflower did the same and they started talking quietly behind the sisters. Icy heard them say Shadowthorn a few times but she didn't catch much else. She didn't think much of it. They probably knew him before he left the clans.

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The five cats finally got to the camp. Icy and Cloud entered and were instantly hit with amazement. There were many cats walking around. They remembered hearing how Windclan didn't have dens like the other clans. They haven't seen so many in one place before. Everything was so organized on this sandy moorland.

Leopardflower led Icy and Cloud to a certain area in the camp, next to a very tall rock. Snowpelt and Stormtooth didn't join them for whatever reason.

"Ashstar, may I speak with you?" She asked, before coming in too close to the very tall rock.

"You may," said a voice from around the rock.

She walked over to the voice and the young cats followed, making sure to stay behind her. There, Icy and Cloud saw an average sized cat resting against the rock. All of his fur was dark grey. Apparently, this was 'Ashestar' and Icy and Cloud already knew he was the leader of Windclan, judging by his name. Shadowthorn once told them how all the leaders had Star at the end of their names. The two bowed their head in respect.

"We found these two waiting for us at the edge of our border. Their names are Icy and Cloud and they say they want to join Windclan," Leopardflower told him plainly.

"Really," Ashstar muttered as he sat up. He narrowed his eyes, obviously not impressed. "So they want to join…. Is there any particular reason why I should accept them?" he asked her, probably expecting a No.

"There is one thing…" she said, somewhat worried. "Their father was... uh, Shadowthorn."

Then suddenly, Ashstars' eyes widened at the name.

"But they told us he and his mate apparently died, which is why they came here," Leopardflower added quickly.

"I see," he said… "That's… That's too bad."

Ashstar was silent for a moment, thinking over what he just heard. "And what did he tell you about why he left the clan," the leader asked Icy and Cloud.

"Oh, he said he left the clan because he wanted to be with our Mother, Lilly, who was a loner," Icy said.

"That is what happened, right?" Cloud asked.

"More or less. Anyways," he said, changing the topic very quickly. "I'm guessing he already told you how the clans work?"

"Yes, he told us everything," Cloud said, with a faint smile.

Ashstar was thinking everything over again. Icy had a good feeling they would get welcomed into the clan. The leader had no reason that she knew of to refuse. Besides, more paws in the clan are always a good thing.

"Alright. I have decided to let you stay here. But don't think life here will be a breeze. You will get your mentor tomorrow and begin training afterwards. Until then, you are to stay in the nursery for the night. I'm going to announce this to the clan soon. Leopardflower, please show them were to go and give them a tour of the camp," Ashstar said, sounding very leader-like.

Leopardflower nodded, "Right away. Let's go, you two."

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Ashstar watched the three leave the den. Once they were gone, he stood up and jumped onto of the Tallrock.

"Attention everyone," he called and all the cats in the area looked up to him. "I need to speak with all my senior warriors immediately." Then he jumped down and a number of warriors walked over, all strong and experienced.

"What is it, Ashstar?" One cat asked as they all gathered around in a small group.

"I have just accepted two young cats into the clan. They were loners before and are about 6 moons old," he said, knowing the reactions won't be good.

"What? Why did you do that?" A light furred tabby asked in an annoyed tone. Other murmurs of confusion rose up in the group as well.

Ashstar spoke up, silencing the others. "Because they are the kits of Shadowthorn. They came here because Shadowthorn and his mate have died. They don't know the truth about his past. And I don't want them to know just yet."

This news shook the senior warriors. None of them have seen Shadowthorn in a while, nor did they know he had two kits.

"Once they become apprentices, maybe they won't have to know at all," he added.

"So you want us to lie to them about their parents," asked a she-cat, not loving the idea.

"No, Silverstone," Ashstar said to her. "Just simply don't talk about the stories; to the kits, other warriors or anyone else. This is not to come up in conversation. Understand?" He asked, seriously.

The senior warriors all agreed together.

"And I want all of you to tell the other warriors, queens, and the medicine cat that too without the two kits hearing. They are getting a tour by Leopardflower now. I will announce their arrival tomorrow," the leader explained to the warriors. "I know not all of you want to do this, but it's for the best."

And with that, the group disbanded and they all left to spread the word.

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"You already saw the Tallrock. Ashstar tends to stay around their when he's not out and about," Leopardflower explained as Icy and Cloud followed her throughout the camp. "As you can see, all the cats rather sleep under the open sky. But when the weather is bad, they stay in burrows made by rabbits, foxes or badgers. The nursery and elders' den is under the gorse wall, surrounding the camp."

She also showed them the fresh kill pile and the main entrance into the camp which was the gorse tunnel. During the tour, they didn't run into anyone who had time to chat at the moment. When they were all done, Leopard ended it at the nursery, which as she said before, was made up by the gorse wall.

"Now I suggest you make friends with the kits in there. Some of them will become apprentices soon."

Icy and Cloud had no trouble walking in the den, though Leopardflower and to squeeze in in the entrance. Inside the den were two queens and five kits.

"Hello everyone. This is Icy and Cloud. They just joined Windclan and will stay in here for the night before moving in with the apprentices," Leopardflower said before leaving.

"Make yourselves at home, there's plenty of room," said a queen. She had light brown fur and her belly was white. "My name is Berryfur and these are my kits, Rockkit and Maplekit." The two kits where playing with a ball of gorse and too occupied to say hi.

Then the other queen spoke up. Her fur was black but the tip of her tail was light grey, along with her front left paw and chest. "My name is Hollytail and my kits are Nightkit, Stonekit, and Rainkit," she said as she pointed to the three kits. The two toms and she-cat were stuck in conversation with each other.

"Nice to meet you," Cloud said with a smile. She and Icy sat down in front of the two queens. "We come from the farm not far from here."

"So we hear," Berryfur said with a small laugh. "And I hear there are a lot of mice around there. I hope you like rabbit too. That'll really be all you'll find around here."

Icy and Cloud laughed, unsure if that was a joke or not.

Icy and Cloud noticed a small kit walk up to them. He was dark brown but his tail had one black stripe around it. "Hi!" he said cheerfully. "I'm Rockkit."

"Yeah, your mother told us about you," Cloud said playfully. "And you must be Maplekit," she added when the lighter brown she-cat joined them. She was smaller than her brother but just as excited to meet the new cats. "Yep. Are you going to be apprentices soon? The three over there are going to get their names too," she told them.

"Yes we are," Icy said to her. "Tomorrow, actually."

"Wow, that is so cool," Rockkit commented with enthusiasm. "We still have to wait a long time. It'll take forever."

The two sisters laughed along with the queens, glad to meet some cats who don't care about where they come from.

Icy was so happy she came to Windclan and they let her in with Cloud. Here, she was able to stop thinking about her parents for a while. She just hoped the rest of the clan would accept them too. But even if they don't at first, she is determined to never give up.

While she was thinking about the others, she turned around the looked out to the rest of the camp. _I wonder who my mentor will be. _She thought to herself. Anyone would be good, since she hardly knows anyone. And so far, there is only one member here who isn't too fond of her. And what are the chances Ashstar will pick that certain warrior out of the rest? Very slim.

Soon, she and Cloud will be full members of Windclan.

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**A/N: Before I wrote this, I was thinking that the chapters about the clan will be longer than the others. So far, I was right. :P**

**Anyway, we finally entered the clan! Things only get better form here. So thanks for reading and please leave a review!**

**Have a nice day~**


	5. Quality Time

_Chapter 5_

Icy had trouble falling asleep that night, as she lay on the ground in the Windclan camp. She couldn't stop thinking about everything that has happened. Just suddenly, her life turned upside down. And here she was. In a place she only dreamed of being in. So much awaited her the next day. She was excited, yet scared; but mostly excited.

Icy eventually did fall asleep, but when she woke up the next morning, she wasn't very refreshed. Her excitement overcame that though.

Icy and Cloud had to wake up earlier than they were used to. It was hard to sleep in when the silence was so easily broken. The kits in the nursery got up early. And when the kits get up, everyone else is forced to. The two younger ones, Rockkit and Maplekit, were so jumpy that morning, mainly because today Icy and Cloud got their apprentice ceremony.

Icy and Cloud were talking in the nursery when a cat randomly walked in. He was looking for them.

"Good morning Icy and Cloud. I trust you both slept well," said a grey and brown tom. "My name is Gravelstone. I am the deputy of Windclan."

Now that they knew who he was, Icy and Cloud both bowed their heads in respect to the highly ranked warrior, like they did the Ashstar the day before.

"I came to inform you that once you get your names and mentors, there are many apprentice duties you two will be expected to fulfill. Such as regular training and checking the elders for ticks and refresh their bedding. If you don't do as required of you or break the warrior code, you will be punished. No exceptions," Gravelstone explained with a straight face. He paused when he was finished and looked at the two.

They suddenly realized he was waiting for them to respond. "Yes, we understand," Cloud said, nervously.

"Good," he continued. "The ceremony will begin shortly. That is all." The deputy then made is way out of the gorse den. "Oh, one more thing," he added before leaving. "Welcome to Windclan."

Icy and Cloud both sighed when he left. They didn't know being an apprentice sounded so hard. Of course, they didn't expect it to be easy, but still. Gravelstone mentioned the Warrior Code. They knew what it was, but didn't know much about… They both knew someone would have to explain it later.

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"Let all cats old enough to catch their own prey, gather beneath the Tallrock for a clan meeting!"

As the deputy said before, it wasn't long before a meeting was called. Icy and Cloud, now more anxious than before, gathered with the other cats, but they stayed near the side of the rock.

Ashstar waited for the cats to quiet down for speaking. "Yesterday, two loners came to Windclan, asking to join. Do not think these two as outsiders, for their father was a great warrior here in Windclan not long ago. They have the warrior blood and deserve a place among us. These two young cats used to be known as Icy and Cloud. But now they have joined us and are getting their apprentice names," he said then paused to see his clans' reactions.

Usually, the clan would a bit upset about loners joining the clan. But since their father was a warrior in the past, most of the clan members didn't have a huge problem with it.

"Cloud, step up," Ashstar said. Cloud did as he told her and leaped onto the Tallrock as she trying to hide her excitement with a calm expression.

"By naming apprentices, we show Windclan is strong and will survive. Cloud, from now on you will be known as Cloudpaw until you receive your warrior name. Your mentor shall be Silverstone."

The silver she-cat from below lit up with surprise and happiness. She jumped onto the Tallstone as well, facing Cloupaw.

"Silverstone, you are loyal and courageous. I trust will you teach everything you know to this young apprentice." Silverstone and Cloudpaw touched noses as tradition then both stepped down.

"Now Icy, step up," the leader said and Icy jumped onto the Tallrock. Before he continued, she glanced at the camp filled with warriors. She wondered which one will mentor her. "From now one until you receive your warrior name, you will be known as Icepaw. Your mentor will be Stormtooth."

Icy froze for a moment, trying to register what Ashstar just said. _What? Him? Why?! _Ashstar chose the only cat in the clan who doesn't like Icepaw to be her mentor? Why would he do that? Maybe he did it because he doesn't like her either…

Icepaws' face was full of surprise now, and she didn't bother to hide it until she noticed she was showing it.

Stormtooth jumped onto the Tallrock. His expression was as always; cold and serious.

Ashstar continued, as if he didn't notice my surprise. "Stormtooth, you are strong and wise. I trust you will teach everything you know to this young apprentice."

Icepaw didn't want to, but she knew she had to. They both touched noses then jumped down.

"Clan meeting dismissed," Ashstar called, ending the ceremony.

Icepaw and Cloudpaw walked up to each other. "This is so great! We're apprentices," Cloudpaw said, excitedly. "And I love your name!"

"My mentor is Stormtooth," Icepaw complained, ignoring what her sister just said. "Why him? Why does Ashstar hate me?"

Cloudpaw thought it over for a moment. "Maybe he didn't know Stormtooth doesn't really like us. Or maybe he just wants you to be a great warrior so he chose someone who won't go easy on you."

Icepaw sighed. She knew her sister was probably right. She decided to cheer up for Cloudpaw.

"Your right. This is exciting. We'll be the best warriors Windclan has ever seen!"

"That's the spirit!"

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"And this is an abandoned badger set. It's a good place to find prey," Silverstone explained to the two apprentices.

Silverstone and Stormtooth decided the two of them can show the apprentices the territory together. At the moment, they were just south of the camp. That's the direction they started it.

On the way there, Icepaw decided that she will try her hardest to get on Stormtooths' good side. In short, be the best apprentice he has ever had. She wanted to be friends with the warrior. She planned to do that by never complaining, do everything he says, and try her hardest. And if everything works out, maybe he will lighten up on her too.

"Let's keep going this way," Stormtooth said. "We'll soon reach the border with Riverclan."

And so the four cats continued walking south until they reached the river. Technically, the river is on Riverclan land, so Windclan cats aren't supposed to hunt there.

"So we don't make Riverclan angry, Windclan can only use the river for water. We aren't trained to hunt fish anyway, so it's not much of a problem. But because the river is in a gorge, we usually just chew the grass near it. Much safer than actually going down there," Stormtooth explained to them while they all looked down at the river below. "Besides, if we started hunting fish, we would be stuck with the name 'fish breath' too," he added. The comment sounded like a joke to Icepaw and Cloudpaw, so they laughed. But Stormtooth looked at them, as if wondering why they were laughing.

"Doesn't chewing grass sometimes make a cat sick?" Icepaw asked her mentor.

Stormtooth didn't even spare a glance. "You don't actually chew it like you're going to eat it," he snapped like it was obvious. "Just get the water off."

"Oh," Icepaw muttered with embarrassment. "Right."

"Let's continue east," Silverstone suggested. The four walked along the river until their territory began curving upwards.

They stopped at a large rock in the middle of the area. Silverstone ran ahead and jumped on the rock and looked down at the three cats. "This is the Outlook Rock. Standing on here, you can see the whole moor. It's a nice place to relax, as well as a good place to stand to watch for enemies." After explaining, she jumped down and joined the others.

To continue the tour of the territory, they continued more north-east until they saw Fourtrees. They didn't go very close to the trees to save on time, but everyone still had a good view of the place from where they were.

"This is where the clans gather every moon for a gathering. The one night we come together to speak in peace," Stormtooth explained, plainly. They all took a moment to look at the four large trees in the distance. Just talking about the gathering got Icepaw excited for her first one, but she knew she is going to have to wait for a while.

Before leaving, Silverstone added one last thing. "Past Fourtrees, lives Thunderclan. They live in the trees. Over there." She motioned to the forest past the gathering place.

Next, the four cats moved up north. There was no side stops on the way to their next destination, so the trip there was, for the most part, silent.

They walked onto another small set of trees, at another edge of Windclan territory. Before they got to the border itself, the two warriors stopped and faced the apprentices, both serious now.

"This is the border to Shadowclan, the Thunderpath. It is very dangerous, so do not walk across alone for any reason," Silverstorm warned them, firmly.

After the sisters announced they understood, the four walked farther into the trees until they stopped and all stood a few fox length away from the huge, dark grey path.

"This is the border to Shadowclan. They that the cold north winds of the mountains chilled the ShadowClan warriors' hearts. That's just some silly rumor," Silverstone said, though she didn't sound very sure of what she was saying.

"Whoa," Cloudpaw muttered. She and Icepaw got a little closer to the path, without actually stepping on it. They looked at the strange grey ground. And out of nowhere, something roared across the path, faster than anything they had ever seen in their lives. The two young cats hissed in shock and jumped back, suddenly out of breath, claws dug into the ground.

They heard the two warriors laughing behind them.

"That never gets old," Stormtooth said to Silverstone.

"Yeah, remember my first time," she replied.

"What was that?!" Icepaw asked, still out of breath.

"That was a Monster," Stormtooth explained. "They're strange creatures, used by twolegs. They get inside their bellies and leave. Getting hit by one can kill any cat. That's why the Thunderpath is so dangerous. Thank Starclan the Monsters never leave the Thunderpath... Now let's get out of here."

The four left the Shadowclan border and headed west. They continued walking across the border for quite a while. While they walked, Silverstone quickly mentioned how rabbits are often found throughout the territory. It's their main source of prey.

They finally stopped walking when they got to another edge of Windclan territory. But Icepaw and Cloudpaw already knew what this was. It was right by the barn they used to live in.

Icepaw was about to shout out, saying they used to live in the barn, but stopped herself when she remembered the two warriors already knew that. She already guessed Stormtooth doesn't want an apprentice who says everything on her mind without thinking it out first, so she kept quiet. She didn't want to seem impulsive.

After they looked at the edge by the barn, they continued walking west, circling the territory. Along the way, the two warriors listed of facts and tips about the land, but not much of actually stuck with the apprentices for very long. A while later, they arrived back at the border of Riverclan.

"Well…. That's it. Hope you had fun," Silverstone said cheerfully, though she was tired.

Icepaw sat at the gorges ledge and listened to the water. The sun was already going down. It took a long time to explore the whole territory. But before they left Icepaw still had a few questions on her mind to ask her mentor.

Cloudpaw saw Icepaw by the gorge and she walked over to join her and watched the water too. Stormtooth and Silverstone joined them, but sat more behind them. Icepaw turned around so she was facing Stormtooth. She noticed the four of them were now sitting it what looked like a square.

"Stormtooth, I was wondering… I have a few questions I'm hoping you can answer," she asked him.

He nodded, agreeing to answer.

"Okay, well as we wandered the borders, I've wanted to know what Windclans' relationship with the other clans is like.

"Ah, good question," he commented plainly. "We are pretty neutral, if not allies, with Riverclan at the moment. If either one asked for help in a battle with another clan, the other would most likely agree, though it hasn't been done recently yet. We haven't had a problem with them since a battle we had many moons ago. But that was with Riverclans last leader. Their new leader is Featherstar. I even heard she and Ashstar were friends when they were apprentices."

"You're allowed to be friends with cats from other clans?" Cloudpaw asked, joining in on the conversation with Silverstone, who was just listening.

"Yes. You can talk at gatherings and such, but only if your friendship doesn't get in the way of defending your clan."

Cloudpaw nodded, understanding why.

"Next is Thunderclan," he continued. "Nothing has happened between us and them yet, but it's easy to see not everything is well with the leaders. Ashstar and Lightstar constantly get on each other's nerves. It won't before one of them finally crack and something goes down. They have been accusing the other for prey theft, seen warriors on their territory, things like that.

"Now Shadowclan. Wolfstar is the leader there. He is very prideful, like most Shadowclan warriors. At gatherings, he keeps mentioning how they need more territory, but hasn't demanded any yet. Though I think he might soon…. And that's really all you need to know about that."

"Thank you, Stormtooth," Icepaw said respectfully. She noticed how he hasn't been very rough today. He was probably to worn out to put much effort into it now, but she expected more from him tomorrow.

"You said you had some other questions too," he added.

"Yeah, but we're all tired. I can ask them later. For now, I think we should all head back to camp," Icepaw told everyone.

"That's a good idea," Silverstone said, finally speaking up. "Let's go before it gets too dark."

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When Icepaw and Cloudpaw got back to camp, the moon was up and most of the apprentices were already sleeping, or were about to go to sleep. The two were too tired to introduce themselves anyway, so they decided to do it in the morning. They laid down next to each other in the part of camp for apprentices.

"Good night, Icepaw," Cloudpaw said with a yawn.

"Good night."

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**A/N: Longer and longer, the chapters will become. I just have so much planned; I can't fit it all in 1000 words anymore. Well, next up, we have a Real training session with Icepaw and Stormtooth. And he can be much more commanding after a full nights rest. (That'll be fun to write… Meh heh heh)**

**As always thanks for reading and please leave a review! I want to know what you all think of my chapters!**

**Have a nice day~**


	6. Everyday Life

_Chapter 6_

Icepaw woke up the next morning with the other apprentices. Once they got up, it was difficult to keep sleeping for her, as always. She knew she would just have to get used to it apparently. But since Icepaw and Cloudpaw were up, they decided now would be a good time to introduce themselves to the other apprentices.

The others were all together, not far from where they were sleeping. Icepaw and Cloudpaw walked up to them, hoping to get a decent response.

"Hi guys," Cloudpaw said to them as she walked up to the other three apprentices.

"Hello." The grey and black she-cat was the first to reply. "So you two are the new apprentices, right? It's nice to meet you. My name is Bramblepaw." She had dazzling green eyes.

Icepaw and Cloudpaw smiled, but before they could reply, the next apprentice spoke up.

"My name is Rowanpaw. I'm the oldest apprentice here." His fur was a ginger brown.

"And I'm Breezepaw," said the pale grey tom, who looked tall for his age. "But don't think you're going to get a warm welcome from us," he added.

"Breezepaw, there is no need for that," Bramblepaw remarked.

"Come on, their only half Windclan! That's as bad as being half clan. In fact, it's basically the same thing."

Icepaw and Cloudpaw sat and watched the two cats argue about them. The moment was actually quite awkward to Icepaw.

"They'll be at it for moons," Rowanpaw said to them. "Let's leave, shall we?"

Icepaw and Cloudpaw agreed and the three of them left Bramblepaw and Breezepaw to argue it out. They headed for the medicine den after Rowanpaw asked them if they ever met the medicine cat yet.

"Don't mind Breezepaw. His tongue works faster than his head sometimes. He's really not that bad once you get to know him," Rowanpaw assured them as they went to meet the medicine cat.

They found a cat sorting herbs into a small hill which had many small openings on one side. The she-cat was a small tortoiseshell.

"Hello Heatherwish," Rowanpaw said as the three of them walked forward.

"Oh, good morning Rowanpaw," she replied, but was too occupied by her herbs to look at them.

They waited a moment, expecting the medicine cat to look over and notice Icepaw and Cloudpw were there too, but she never did. Finally, she decided to speak up.

"Uh… Hi." Icepaw was hoping she didn't just make herself sound stupid.

Confused by the extra voice, Heatherwish finally looked over to them and saw the two new apprentices.

"Oh, you must be our new apprentices! Welcome to Windclan," she said, and walked over. "I'm sorry I didn't see you. I've just been so busy lately."

"That's alright. My name is Icepaw, and this is my sister Cloudpaw," she said, glancing over to her sister.

"Well it's great to finally meet you both. My name is Heatherwish."

The sisters were about to respond, but they didn't get a chance before another voice rose up behind them.

"Icepaw! What are you doing?!"

Icepaw turned around, already knowing who the voice was coming from. Stormtooth was walking up to the two white she-cats, obviously mad.

"Why are you in here chatting with Heatherwish when you could be replacing the elders bedding?" he demanded loudly.

"You didn't tell me to replace their bedding," Icepaw said in her defense. Though, after the worlds came out, she regretted saying it like that.

"I shouldn't have to! Now come on." Stormtooth stormed out of the medicine cat den and was heading for the elders den. Icepaw scrambled after him, forgetting to say goodbye her friends.

Stormtooth stopped outside the elders den and impatiently waited for Icepaw to join him. Once she did, he gestured to inside the den.

"You are to replace their bedding with fresh moss and grass. Whatever you can get your paws on. Once you're done, come find me and we'll leave camp for some training. Be thankful you don't have to search them for ticks today." He then left Icepaw to herself without giving her a chance to reply.

Icepaw stood where she was for a second, giving herself some time to breath. Then she left to find anything she could put in a nest. Icepaw wasn't sure if there was some special area to search in, but she just picked up everything good she found and hoped it'll work.

Once she was done collecting grass, moss and the occasional feather, she returned to the elders den. Icepaw walked in a dropped everything she collected onto the ground. "I'm here to replace your bedding," she said with a smile, trying really hard to hide her sour mood.

As she walked around, changing the bedding for every elder, they all introduced themselves in either a nice or grouchy way. There was Dappleleaf, Honeyfur, Wildclaw, and Sandfoot. Honeyfur and Sandfoot were nice, Dappleleaf wouldn't stop talking, and Wildclaw was just irritating.

Once Icepaw walked out of the den, she took a huge sigh, than began looking for Stormtooth. She found him with two other warriors. She didn't know who most of them were and she didn't want to interrupt. She eventually recognize one cat though, who was Snowpelt. So she sat a little behind her mentor and waited for them to stop talking.

"They have been at each other's necks since necks since I was a kit. I doubt that's not going to change anytime soon," she heard Snowpelt say.

"I'm surprised they haven't gotten into a huge battle yet," one other cat said.

"I don't even know what they're always arguing over," another cat muttered.

"It's hard to keep track," Stormtooth said, before noticing Icepaw was waiting for him.

"How long have you been sitting there? Why didn't you say anything?" he asked, quieter than expected. Icepaw guessed he just didn't want to make a scene in front of the other warriors.

"Not long… I finished with the elders. Can we go now?" Icepaw asked.

"Fine; let's go," he answered, than they left camp and headed east.

They walked not far from camp. Stormtooth stopped and looked out into the territory.

"How are you feeling?" He asked. The question caught Icepaw by surprise.

"Umm, I'm fine. But my legs are a bit sore from yesterday," she said, wondering why he asked.

"Sore? You're sore from just walking around your own territory?" he demanded, suddenly much harsher now.

_I should have known he didn't ask how I was because he was concerned…._

"But you were tired yesterday too. Why are you yelling at me?"

"Yes, I was tired. But I'm not sore. You need to get into shape!" he said in a tone that could make _anything_ sound hurtful.

"I want you to run to the edge of our territory by Fourtrees and back as fast as you can," he told her.

"Wha-" Icepaw was about to complain, but she quickly reminded herself about never questioning him. She sighed and remained quiet while she stood back up, trying to avoid his gaze.

"I want you to run like your life depends on it; because if you are too slow, it just might!" Stormtooth barked at her. "No go!"

Icepaw scrambled away, running as fast as she could. Yesterday was fine, but now this? Stormtooth is probably the most unpredictable mentor in clan history.

The path she was taking began going downhill. She could see Fourtrees in the distance, but thanked Starclan she didn't have to run all the way down there. She began running so fast, she was certain she would trip and fall with every paw step. But to her surprise, she continued running on all four paws.

By the time Icepaw got to the border, she was wiped out from running. She spun around and began sprinting back in the direction of camp to join Stormtooth again. The moor was more uphill as she ran back. She noticed she was running slower than when she was running down. Icepaw tried to run faster, but it seemed physically impossible.

When she got back to Stormtooth, she collapsed on the ground, completely out of breath.

"When you're a warrior, you should be able to run that fast without even trying," he mentioned with an impatient expression.

"I am so thirsty…." Icepaw complained as she rested on the ground.

"If you want water, then run to the river and back."

"What?" Icepaw asked, too tired to raise her voice despite her feelings.

But there was no point in arguing. She stood up and ran towards the river but she was jogging more than running.

When Icepaw got to the river, she looked down and remembered the river was in a gorge. Stormtooth said yesterday that Windclan cats chew on the wet grass near the river instead of drinking from it. She figured it wouldn't hurt to try.

She sat down and tried chewing on the wet grass. It really wasn't that bad. At least the water was getting in her body, though Icepaw would much rather drink it, instead of eat it. She made sure to just chew on the grass and get the water off and not actually swallow any.

Once she felt refreshed, Icepaw stood up and ran back to Stormtooth. The white she-cat was feeling much better now that she got some water. When she got back to her mentor she sat down and waited for him to tell her to do something else. Hopefully, it won't include a lot of running.

"Good. You complained much less than I expected," he said plainly, which made Icepaw smile.

"There is a gathering coming up soon. New apprentices usually don't go to the first gathering unless they impress the leader. Until then, that's what we'll try to do."

"A gathering? Yes! I'm so excited already! What do I have to do?" Icepaw asked with new enthusiasm.

"Every time you go hunting, you must come back with a lot of pretty if you want Ashstar to pick you. We'll work on that for now, and practice fighting later. We need to make an impression."

Stormtooth showed Icepaw the basics to hunting rabbits, as well as some tips on other types of prey like the occasional mouse and bird. After that, Icepaw tried catching something while he watched. She caught a rabbit on her second try and also got a bird, but it flew away when she wasn't watching. Stormtooth wasn't too thrilled with that.

Icepaw later tried again with catching a bird and she got it, but it was close. And later, after a while of waiting for any prey to appear, she caught one more rabbit. Stormtooth was surprised she did so well for her first time. She heard him mutter to himself, saying she was just lucky though. Icepaw tried to ignore that and enjoy her surprisingly good day of hunting.

Soon after, they decided to go back to camp. Stormtooth made sure Icepaw knew each day would only get harder for her and she believed him. He was going to make Icepaw run to the border and back every day, whether they're hunting for fighting.

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When Icepaw returned to camp, she instantly found her nest and collapsed. As she rested, she thought over everything that happened today.

_If every day is going to be like how it was today, I am going to be one tired warrior someday, _She thought to herself. Icepaw idly wondered how Cloudpaw was doing. Her mentor, Silverstone, seems really nice.

Then she started thinking about Stormtooth. Why did he have to be so hard on her? But even though he was so strict, she actually kind of liked him as a mentor. She didn't understand why, but she had a feeling that even if they never talk like it, the two of them are going to be friends one day. Icepaw wondered if he thought that too…

Right when Icepaw was about to fall asleep, a cat walked over and woke her up.

"Hey Icepaw. Is the warrior life too much for you?" Icepaw looked up and saw Breezepaw standing in front of her. He spoke with a taunting tone.

"Can't handle it?"

Icepaw sat up and replied, "If you had Stormtooth for a mentor, you would understand why I am so tired.

"Oh please. This just shows you don't know how to stand up for yourself," he remarked with a sly smile.

Icepaw could just imagine herself clawing him… That would definitely get rid of that annoying smirk…

She was about to say some witty comeback, but cut herself off short when she reminded herself not to make enemies.

Before Breezepaw could say something again, Bramblepaw walked in. Icepaw let out a relieved sigh.

"Is Breezepaw bothering you again?" She asked the tired Icepaw.

"No, he's just being himself," she replied with a smile. "You can't blame his for who he is."

The two she cats laughed at the joke but Breezepaw didn't find it as funny. He walked over to his nest and sat down, ignoring them now.

"So how was your first day of training, Icepaw? You look pretty beat," Bramblepaw said as she sat down at a nest close to her.

"It was hard, but I think it'll all be worth it in the end," she replied. That just occurred to her, actually. Stormtooth must be training her so hard because he knows it will later be worth it, not because he hates her… _Why didn't I think of that before?_

While the two she cats were talking, Cloudpaw walked it. She looked tired, yet happy.

"Hey guys. Today was great," she exclaimed as she sat down in a nest by Icepaw and Bramblepaw. "I caught a rabbit and a mouse and learned a lot of battle techniques. Silverstone is great. How did you do, Icepaw?"

Icepaw hesitated to answer. She felt bad that she got more prey than Cloudpaw. Maybe she didn't have to go into detail…

"I caught some prey and ran; a lot. Stormtooth is making me run from camp to the edge of the border by Fourtrees every day," she explained with a sigh, knowing it'll be difficult.

"Whoa," Cloudpaw and Bramblepaw said together. "That sounds hard. Good luck," Cloudpaw added, sincerely.

"Thanks, I'll need it…" She muttered in reply. "But he also said he's making me do so much so I can get into the next gathering."

"Wow, really? I should ask Silverstone about that too," Cloudpaw mentioned.

"I'm pretty sure I'm going to this gathering already," Bramblepaw said. "I haven't been to one yet, so it's very likely. Which means Breezepaw will probably go too."

"What does that have to do with him going?" Icepaw asked her.

"Breezepaw is my brother," she laughed.

In hindsight, it was actually obvious. They do look a bit alike and Bramblepaw is the only one who talks to him the way she does.

After the three she-cats talked for a while, it started to get dark and Rowanpaw later returned as well. They all decided to get some sleep so they can prepare for tomorrow.

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**A/N: First, I would just like to say that Breezepaw in my story is nothing like the Breezepaw in the books…**

**Anyway, thanks for reading and please review!**

**Have a nice day~**


	7. False Motivation

_Chapter 7_

For the past few days, Icepaw has been training with Stormtooth more determined than ever. She really wanted to go to the next gathering. She has been hunting after every training session and always brought back a good amount of prey, hoping Ashstar would notice. But the down side is she is always worn out from everything she had done.

Cloudpaw was having a great time with her mentor. She claims Silverstone is the perfect mentor. Not too harsh, yet not incredibly soft either. She shows her how to do things, than she gets to practice. Life has been good for her so far. She has been bringing home a good amount of prey almost every day, like her sister.

Icepaw noted this. Once again, everything works out so well for Cloudpaw, while Icepaw has to work twice as hard just to keep up.

Now, Icepaw is sitting in the grass, facing Stormtooth. She is catching her breath after a difficult run from there to border and back.

"The gathering is tomorrow," he said as he sat down in the grass. "If everything went well, Ashstar might choose you to go. But even if you did impress him, there is still a chase he may not choose you.

"Right," Icepaw replied. "Because I'm so young."

"No," Stormtooth corrected, without having to even think about his answer. "Because he will announce you and Cloudpaw have joined. He may not want you two there for it so no one can question you about it."

"Oh… I didn't think about that," Icepaw admitted.

"Now this is your last chance to get chosen for the gathering. Just spend the rest of the day hunting. If you do well, you get tomorrow off to go to the gathering. If not…" Stormtooth leaned in closer and started at Icepaw with his very threatening eyes. "Then you're going to regret it." Before Icepaw could respond, he got up and began heading back to camp.

_Geez…. He makes it sound like such a big deal. Well… It is to me, but he acts like he actually cares if I'm at the gathering or not, _Icepaw thought bitterly to herself. Then it occurred to her that he is probably just trying to 'motivate' her to do well. Oh well…

Icepaw scanned the area. No prey. She began walking sound to the old badgers nest. That place is often filled with prey, so she heard.

The she-cat arrived at the abandon nest and listened for prey. She heard and saw a few rabbits not far from there, but she just sat down a sighed.

_A paw full of rabbits and mice won't get me noticed… I have to think bigger. Maybe a hare… If I can find one…_

She decided to search for a hare instead of rabbits. If she brought one back to camp, Icepaw will definitely get noticed.

Icepaw tried moving north east. She didn't know were the hare in Windclan usually were, so she was going to try wondering and just hope to find one.

She didn't know how long she has been out there, but she was beginning to lose hope in finding some hare. If she were to come back to camp with anything at all, she better not waste time…

That was until she actually spotted one! A few fox lengths away from her, there was hare just sitting there. She would have to do this perfectly if she was going to catch it to catch it.

Icepaw got into position, about to run forward. But right before she did, a large hawk came out of nowhere and grabbed the rodent in its huge talons and flew off.

"Gah! Stupid hawk," she yelled into the sky, thinking her chances of getting into the gathering were gone. "Wait… Hawk?" And then it came to her. If Icepaw caught a hawk and brought it back to camp, that would be amazing! But was it possible? Hawks like to hunt small cats. Was she old enough to catch it before it catches her? Probably.

_I don't have time to sit around, _she thought to herself as she began running after the hawk. _I will catch that bird no matter what it takes! Am I going overboard with this…? Doubt it._

The young apprentice chased the flying bird throughout Windclan territory. It headed north and she followed. She began to worry its nest was too far for her to follow, but she soon saw It. The tall tree was just at the edge of Windclan territory. She stopped running when she saw it take the hare up there. No way was she following it up there.

Icepaw desperately looked around the area, hoping to see something that will give her an idea.

She saw a mouse by a tree not far from her. That's when a brilliant idea formed inside her head. She quickly caught and killed the mouse, then brought it back to where she was just standing. She looked up at the hawks nest. It was about to take flight again.

She set the mouse down in plain sight then ran off to hide in a nearby shrub.

The white cat watched intensely as the large bird circled the sky for a few heartbeats then it swooped down, heading straight for the mouse. Icepaw timed it just right, then jumped out of the bush and headed straight for the bird right when it was about to grab the mouse.

She jumped and landed on the large birds back, just then seeing how much larger the hawk was than her. Icepaw dug her claws into the hawks' wings as it struggled to get Icepaw off. The hawk screeched numerous times, which wasn't a very welcoming sound to Icepaw. It couldn't fly because Icepaw was attacking its wings, so the bird hoped quickly in any random direction and flapped its wings sometimes too, still trying to get the young cat off.

But Icepaw was having a tough time too. She was trying with all her might to stay on the back of the bird. As the hawk jumped around, she realized how stupid she must look at the moment and silently thanked Starclan no one was watching.

The hawk managed to shake Icepaw off and instead of flying away; the hawk turned to the white cat and charged towards her. She hardly had enough time to stand up the ground before the bird picked her off of the ground by grabbed her in its large talons. She battled to free herself from the bird. Icepaw finally got the opportunity to claw the hawks leg and it dropped her onto the ground again.

She stood up again and looked up at the sky. _Where did it go? _She wondered and was about to turn around, but then the hawk came flying back and picked her up in its claws again by her back. The bird dragged her across the moor and through ever bush in their way. Icepaw struggled enough and the hawk dropped her and flew past.

Icepaw stood up again shook some twigs and dirt off of her fur. The hawk circled back and was rushing towards her. But this time, she had time to get prepared. Icepaw timed it just right then jumped up at the hawk. Catching the hawk off guard, she dug her claws into the birds' chest and it plummeted to the ground.

For a brief moment, the hawk stopped, giving Icepaw just enough time to claw at its neck. When she did, the hawk fell forward and stopped moving completely.

_Is it dead…? It looks dead to me," she thought to herself._

"Victory" Icepaw cheered with glee. As she did, she loosened her grip on the hawk. At that moment, the hawk, still alive, slipped away from under her and began hopping away, unable to fly because it sprained its wing.

"Ah, no!" Icepaw ran forward, afraid to lose the hawk. She tackled the hawk again before it could get away and made sure it was dead this time.

Icepaw took a deep breath and looked at the large bird. _I am so getting into that gathering, _she thought to herself proudly. She had many scratched and wounds that she'll have to get checked, but she got the hawk and limped back to camp.

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Icepaw headed back to camp, after grabbing the mouse she also caught before. It took a while to drag the large bird back to camp thanks to her injuries. Once she stepped inside the camp, many cats noticed her large catch and followed her to the fresh-kill pile asking questions like "Where did you find that? How did you catch it? Was it hard?" She answered the questions and the crowd soon broke up. The only cats who didn't leave were Stormtooth and Ashstar.

Icepaw stood in silence and waited for them to speak.

"Icepaw," Ashstar begun. "This catch is quite impressive."

"I agree," Stormtooth said, plainly.

"Catching a hawk at such a young age definitely deserves a reward," the leader added before walking away.

Icepaw and Stormtooth waited for him to leave before continuing their conversation.

"You really outdid yourself today. I wouldn't be surprised if he chooses you to go to the gathering tomorrow. But like I said, there is still a chance he won't.

"I know," Icepaw replied. "I'll keep that in mind."

Stormtooth nodded and walked away.

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Icepaw was still wiped out from battling that hawk. After she was done talking to her mentor, she went to find the medicine cat, Heatherwish. She gave Icepaw some herbs and said she will be fine by tomorrow. After that, she went to her nest and got some sleep.

She later woke up to see Rowanpaw walked up to her.

"I heard about the hawk," he started. "Everyone has already heard about it."

Icepaw smiled. "Yeah, it took a lot of work. But because of that, I just might get to go to the gathering tomorrow.

Rowanpaw sat down in front of her. "Are you sure you did all of that just to get into the gathering?"

"What do you mean," Icepaw asked, having no idea what he's talking about.

"I never heard of anyone doing something like that just to get into a gathering. It's not like it's your only chance to go to one. So what's the point?" He asked her.

"I don't know. I just wanted to go to this one I guess… Why are you asking anyway?"

"I don't know… I got the idea that maybe you didn't catch the hawk to go the gathering, but because you just wanted to make your mentor proud of you."

This just came out of nowhere. Icepaw had no idea how he got that idea.

"Oh please," she began. "I wouldn't go through all that trouble for him. Stormtooth doesn't show pride for others."

"Really," Rowanpaw said plainly with a smile. "I think you're just telling yourself that, but inside, you really want him to be proud of you. That's why you went for the hawk, and your mind just made up the gathering thing so you wouldn't think that," he explained.

Icepaw narrowed her eyes. "You're crazy. That hardly even makes sense."

"Alright, believe what you want." He stood up and walked away, leaving Icepaw alone in the apprentice area.

Icepaw watched the brown tom leave, feeling slightly annoyed. _How would he even come up with all that?_ Icepaw wondered. She sighed then curled herself up and closed her eyes.

_Maybe he's right…._

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Icepaw woke up a while later. The sun just started to go down. It just occurred to her that taking a nap too late in the day was probably not a good idea. Now she'll have to have trouble getting some sleep later on.

She woke up just in time to see Rowanpaw talking to Cloudpaw in the middle of camp. She wondered what they were talking about. He was probably telling Cloudpaw about what he said to Icepaw earlier.

Rowanpaw left and Cloudpaw walked up to Icepaw

"Hello Icepaw," she said as she walked over.

"What did you and Rowanpaw talk about?

"He told me about that hawk you caught. I just got back from a border patrol, so this is the first I've heard of it," Cloudpaw explained.

"Oh, okay."

The two sat in silence, unsure what to say at the moment. Cloudpaw broke the silence when she saw Breezepaw and Bramblepaw returned from a training session with their mentors. She saw them in the middle of camp, so they decided to get up and say hi.

Icepaw and Cloudpaw walked up to the four cats.

"Hi guys," Bramblepaw welcomed.

"Hi," Cloudpaw replied. "Did you learn anything new?" She asked nicely.

"Yeah, Brightfire is a great mentor."

"Who's Brightfire," Icepaw asked her.

Then a small she-cat came up from behind Bramblepaw.

"I am," she said. Brightfire was an orange she-cat with tan paws.

"Nice to meet you," Icepaw said.

"And I'm Moonheart," said another she cat who was already close by. "I'm Breezepaws' mentor." She was a creamed colored she cat and her back was grey. Breezepaw was with them, but he was staying out of the conversation.

"Your mentors are Stormtooth and Silverstone, correct?" Moonheart asked the sisters.

"Yes they are," Cloudpaw answered.

"You probably know this, but both of them are excellent warriors," she said as she looked at both Cloudpaw then Icepaw.

The mentors and apprentices had some small talk until they had to leave. Then all the apprentices left to the apprentice area together.

"So who do you guys think will be picked to go to the gathering?" Breezepaw asked the others.

"I don't think I'll be picked," Cloudpaw admitted. "I didn't do anything amazing like Icepaw did."

Icepaw smiled. "But you still did really well with your training, I hear."

Cloudpaw just shrugged. "I doubt I will be picked," Rowanpaw mentioned as he joined the conversation. "I went to the last two."

"Breezepaw will probably be picked too," Bramblepaw said and Breezepaw nodded.

"Rowanpaw, you're going to be a warrior soon, right?" Breezepaw asked.

"I think so, according to Mudwhisker," he replied.

"Is Mudwhisker your mentor?" Icepaw asked.

"Yes he is. I don't know if you've seen him before, but he is all brown; a little smaller than Ashstar."

The apprentices continued talking before it got too late. Once the sun was down and the moon was high, the apprentices all got into their nests to go to sleep.

But Icepaw wasn't that tired and she couldn't stop thinking about the gathering. She really wanted to get picked… Right? Yeah. Though every time she thought about how much she wanted to go, she started thinking about what Rowanpaw said; He thought she only caught the hawk to impress Stormtooth. She still didn't know if it was true…

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**A/N: Hey everyone. I know a good part of this chapter wasn't too exciting, but the next will be better. Hopefully. Things are going to start picking up very soon, so keep reading. =D**

**Thanks for checking in to read this chapter, and the next one will be up soon! Please review and I'll talk to all of you again later!**

**Have a nice day~**


	8. Traditions

_Chapter 8_

"All cats old enough to catch their own prey, gather beneath the Tallrock for a clan meeting." Ashstar called from the Tallrock the next day to announce who would be going to the gathering.

Icepaw and the other apprentices gathered along with the warriors to hear the news.

"The gathering is tonight and I have chosen the warriors and apprentices who will come. "Gravelstone, Heatherwish, Snowpelt, Dustfoot, Sunclaw, Stormtooth, Moonheart, Bramblepaw, Breezepaw and Icepaw. All of you should get some rest before the gathering. Clan meeting dismissed." Then Ashstar jumped down and the group of cats broke apart.

Icepaw ran up to Cloudpaw.

"I'm sorry you didn't get picked, Cloudpaw. I wish you were coming with me," she said to her sister.

"It's alright. I'll probably go to the next one," Cloudpaw replied. "You enjoy it, okay?"

Icepaw nodded and smiled, and then she left to find her nest and get some sleep with Bramblepaw and Breezepaw.

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"Icepaw…. Icepaw, wake up!"

Icepaw snapped out of her sleep and looked up at the cat standing in front of her. She felt groggy from just waking up and had to blink a few times before noticing the cat was Bramblepaw.

"Everyone is getting ready to leave," Bramplepaw said urgently. "Let's go before they leave."

Icepaw nodded and thanked her for waking her up.

The moon was already up when the Windclan cats left camp for Fourtrees. Icepaw was near the back of the group with Bramblepaw and Breezepaw. The three were all excited for their first gathering. This would be the first time Icepaw would see cats from the other clans.

When the clan got to Fourtrees, Thunderclan was already there. Lightstar was sitting up on a tall branch as she waited for the other clans.

Once Windclan arrived, Riverclan joined as well. The group of cats under the large trees continuously got bigger and bigger. Shadowclan got to Fourtrees a little later.

Icepaw was amazed with the large amount of cats that came. The mixture of senses from the other clans hit her nose the second she got close enough.

Icepaw, Bramblepaw and Breezepaw decided to mingle with the other clans while they waited for the leaders to get things started. Bramblepaw and Breezepaw started up a conversation with some other apprentices in Riverclan, while Icepaw introduced herself to a Thunderclan apprentice.

"Hi, my name is Icepaw," she said cheerfully to the tom.

"Oh hi. I'm Redpaw of Thunderclan," the red tom said to her. "You're from Windclan, right?"

"Yes I am," she said proudly. "I'm a new apprentice and this is my first gathering."

"Hey me too," Redpaw replied. "Look, the leaders are starting the gathering."

Icepaw looked up at the large trees and saw four cats standing on the branches. Before they started speaking, Stormtooth walked up next to Icepaw.

"You probably guessed those are the clan leaders," he said, planning on naming all the leaders as they spoke.

A strong she cat spoke first. She was grey with black stripes and her belly and neck was white.

"Greeting cats of all clans to the gathering. I will speak first," she announced.

"That's Featherstar of Riverclan," Stormtooth whispered to Icepaw.

"Though it is leaf-fall, Riverclan does not lack prey. We have two new warriors, Raventail and Brownpelt," Featherstar said.

Two warriors in the crowd stood up proudly as the rest of the group chanted their names. The Riverclan cats where louder than the others.

"We found a fox in our territory not long ago, but we chased it off. It did not enter any other clans, but we wouldn't be surprised if it came back somewhere else. That is all," she finished then stepped back.

"I'll speak next," A dark grey, muscular cat said.

"That is Wolfstar of Shadowclan," Stormtooth whispered to Icepaw.

"We have seen slightly less prey this leaf-fall, but it has not affected us. We are as strong as ever," the leader said proudly. "On another note, Darkflower had kits a few days ago; Leafkit and Oakkit."

Murmurs of congratulations rose up in the crowd.

"And one more thing," Wolfstar continued. "We have found traces of Riverclan on our territory and believe they are stealing prey!"

Many gasps and arguments filled the forest very suddenly.

"Absurd! No Riverclan cat has entered your territory," Featherstar shot back.

"We know it's true! You probably said you have so much prey to protect yourself from accusation," Wolfstar replied, sharply.

Wolfstar and Featherstar continued arguing for a while until Lightstar interrupted.

"Enough," she commanded. "If you haven't noticed, Ashstar and I still need to speak."

"Lightstar is right," Ashstar said before either Wolfstar or Featherstar could reply.

"I shall continue," Lightstar announced. "Two Thunderclan cats received their apprentice names; Redpaw and Willowpaw. Willowpaw has chosen to be our new medicine cat apprentice."

The crowd of cats chanted their names, though it was pretty weak.

"Aside from mentioning the good amount of prey we have found this moon, we chased some kittypets off out border a few days ago and I doubt they'll come back."

Lightstar stepped back and Ashstar was finally able to speak.

"Starclan has been very generous to Windclan this moon; we are thriving. Also, we had two new apprentices; Icepaw and Cloudpaw." He paused when the crowd chanted their names.

"I don't recall you ever announcing an Icekit or Cloudkit at any gathering before," Featherstar mentioned.

"Yes, because they used to be loners. But they joined Windclan because their father was a past warrior. Who that warrior was is not important at this moment," he added, obviously not wanted to say Shadowthorn was the two kits father. He paused for a moment. In the crowd, there were some complaints, but he ignored them.

"One more thing," he began. "We have seen Thunderclan warriors recently on our territory."

Bursts of anger and denial filled the air. Even Icepaw was surprised at this news. She couldn't help but look at Redpaw next to her, whose face was covered in shock. To her relief, he wasn't looking back at her. Instead, he was listening closely to the leaders, making sure he heard Ashstar correctly.

"No Thunderclan warrior has stepped on your land unless they were going to the Moonstone," Lightstar argued. "You cannot blame us for that!"

"We have seen multiple sightings of Thunderclan yet you only announced two new apprentices, and there are very few reasons to go to there anyway. Besides, not every cat we saw said they were going to the Moonstone."

"If that's the case, then do you have names?" Lightstar demanded.

"Sorry, but they didn't stick around to take a survey," Ashstar replied sarcastically, which only irritated Lightstar more.

The leaders continued to argue, but it was impossible to hear them because the warriors below the tree began arguing too. Shadowclan and Riverclan began talking along with Windclan and Thundercan.

Icepaw looked up at Stormtooth.

"It won't be long before clans start to leave. I don't think-"he paused and turned around. A Thunderclan warrior was behind him and they started arguing too.

Icepaw tried to break it up so she could say something to Stormtooth, but to no avail. She noticed Redpaw joined her and also tried to interrupt them.

"You have no right to blame us for something we didn't do," the warrior said harshly.

"So now you watch all your warriors' every movement? You wouldn't know who was on our land unless you were there yourself," Stormtooth shot back.

"Come on, stop arguing," Redpaw broke in, but they paid no attention.

"Why are you helping?" Icepaw asked him, trying not to sound rude.

"That's Hawkwing, my mentor."Hawkwing was a strong looking tom with dark orange, almost brown fur. His paws and the stripes on his back were the same dark shade.

"Oh. That is Stormtooth, who is my mentor."

Both apprentices stared at each other, knowing how awkward this moment was. Without having to say it, they both continued trying to stop their mentors from arguing, but were ignored once more.

It didn't take long for clouds to roll in and cover the moon.

And at last, Lightstar commanded her warriors to leave and Thunderclan cleared out of Fourtrees. Icepaw made sure to say goodbye to Redpaw before the other clans left as well.

Icepaw walked back next to Stormtooth. She wasn't able to find Bramblepaw or Breezepaw. They were probably somewhere in front of her.

She noticed Stormtooth seemed more tense usual.

"Did you know that cat from before?" She asked him as they walked.

"Yes I did. I have known him for a long time. We never really…. got alone."

"Why not?" Icepaw asked, hoping she wasn't going too far, but to her surprise, her mentor answered.

"We first met in battle a long time ago. Then we met again at a gathering. Cats don't seem to like the ones who try to kill them," Stormtooth muttered, somewhat darkly. Which only made Icepaw wondered who tried to kill who.

"He is also the deputy of Thunderclan," he later added. Now that Icepaw knew that, she was mainly thinking about Redpaw and how his mentor was the deputy instead of Hawkwings and Stormtooths' feud.

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When the clan returned to camp, Ashstar told everyone to wake the others because it was going to rain and they needed to move.

Icepaw, Bramblepaw, and Breezepaw all woke the other apprentices and told them everything that happened while they moved with the warriors to the caves underground.

The entrance into the ground was made from foxes and other animals that made them a long time ago. The caves in this area didn't connect to the other clans, but it's rumored there are caves like that.

The caves where dark and cold, but since everyone was together it wasn't that bad.

Icepaw heard the rain, which kept her awake for a while longer. She sighed out loud and Cloudpaw heard her, who must have been still awake too.

"Can't sleep?" she whispered to Icepaw.

"Yeah, I just have a lot on my mind."

"Do you want to talk about it?" Cloudpaw asked her as she moved next to her.

"There isn't much to say, really," Icepaw admitted. "Except… When I was at the gathering, I couldn't believe how much the other clans seemed to hate each other. It's so different from anything I've ever seen. I never knew cats argued like that over such little things."

Cloudpaw waited a moment, probably thinking of how to respond. "I can only imagine what it's like for now, but I still understand. That's how the cats here are like. We knew they wouldn't be all nice when we first came," she reminded Icepaw.

"I know, you're right. I'll probably get used to it eventually. But still. On our way back, Stormtooth told me how he and the Thunderclan deputy have been fighting with each other for a long time. And once, one of them tried to kill the other. It's just horrible," Icepaw muttered.

"I know, but we are part of this world now. I doubt the clans are always like this anyway."

"Yeah… Thanks for listening to me, Cloudpaw. I feel a bit better now," Icepaw whispered with a smile, unsure if her sister could see in the darkness.

"Any time, Icepaw. Good night."

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When Icepaw woke up, most of the cats in the cave have already left, which means the rain has stopped.

She stood up and crawled out of the cave and back into camp. The ground was damp and the smell of rain was still in the air when she got out. Icepaw took a deep breath, always liking the fresh stormy air.

She decided to find Stormtooth, assuming her friend have already gone out for the morning.

Icepaw found Stormtooth speaking to Gravelstone, the deputy, by the Tallrock. She walked up to them and waited. It didn't take long for the conversation to end and Gravelstone left.

"Ah, Icepaw. Good timing," he said plainly. "Gravelstone reminded me that you and Cloudpaw must go to the Moonstone."

"The Moonstone…. I don't know much about that place… Why do we have to go there?"

"Every apprentice must go there for Starclans' blessing in their apprenticeship. Ashstar wanted to delay you two going there because he wanted you two learn more about Starclan first."

"Okay, I get it. When can we go?" Icepaw asked, suddenly excited.

"Once you and your sister speak to Heatherwish to get some herbs. After that, find Ashstar. Silverstone will most likely tell Cloudpaw the same thing. Now hurry up," Stormtooth finished and Icepaw ran off to medicine cats den.

Once she entered, Cloudpaw was already talking to Heatherwish.

"Hi," Cloudpaw said as her sister walked in. "Getting the herbs too?"

"Yes I am," Icepaw replied.

"I have them right here," Heatherwish said as she nudged some herbs over to her. Cloudpaw was already eating them. Icepaw knelt down and ate them too.

"Aw, these taste horrible," Icepaw complained.

"Be thankful we live so close to the Moonstone," Heatherwish said with a chuckle. "The other clans need more herbs for their longer trip."

Icepaw and Cloudpaw swallowed down the herbs and left the den to find Ashstar. They met up with the leader near the clan entrance with another warrior who the two apprentices met earlier. Her name was Runningshade. She is friends with Silverstone and was introduced to them a while ago.

"Are you two ready?" Ashstar asked when they walked up.

"Yes we are," Cloudpaw said. "Why is Runningshade coming?"

"When we are visiting the Moonstone, we need someone to keep watch outside," Ashstar explained. "Now let's head out to Highstones."

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**A/N: ... Now that I think about it, there isn't much to say for this chapter... Huh...**

**Thanks for reading and please review! =D**

**Have a nice day~**


	9. The Message

_Chapter 9_

Icepaw, Cloudpaw, Ashstar, and Runningshade all began heading to Highstones to visit the moonstone. They didn't rush themselves because it wasn't that far and the day was still young.

Icepaw has been staring at Runningshade since they left and finally decided to question her.

"Uh Runningshade?" She asked slyly.

"Yes?"

"I hope you don't mind me asking, but how did you get that scar on your front leg?" Icepaw asked, still looking at the long claw mark which went down from her shoulder all the way down her leg, almost touching her paw.

The black and grey she-cat laughed then looked over to Icepaw. "I got this is a vicious battle a long time ago by a huge fox."

"Whoa," Cloudpaw exclaimed from beside Icepaw. "What did you do to the fox?"

"The other warriors and I chased it off and we never saw that fox again. It went home with a few scratched to remember us by," the warrior explained with a smile.

"That's awesome," Cloudpaw replied.

After that conversation was finished, the four cats walked in silence until Icepaw broke it again.

"Ashstar, we have only been here for a moon now. Why do you think we're ready to go to the Moonstone already?" Icepaw asked. The question had been on her mind since Stormtooth told her she was going.

"I put the pieces together," he explained calmly. "I have known Shadowthorn for a while before he left. He often talked about Starclan with the other cats. And since you said he explained Starclan to you when you two first came, I doubted you were lying."

"Oh, okay. What's it like? The Moonstone I mean," Icepaw asked, imagining a large floating rock shaped like the moon.

"You'll see it soon," Ashstar replied. "I'm sure you can wait a while longer."

Icepaw and Cloudpaw groaned but did not argue.

They continued walking across the moor until they walked through a quick set of trees and saw the frightful sight to behold; the Thunderpath.

"Ah, I totally forgot this was here," Icepaw complained. "Is this the only way to get there?"

"Yes it is," Runningshade said. "Highstones is just past here. You can see Mothermouth too."

"What's Mothermouth?" Cloudpaw asked her. "It's the entrance into the cave."

Ashstar walked up to the Thunderpath. He was only a paw step away from stepping on it. He looked down the path on both sides. The leader stood there for a moment now looking in just one direction. One of those horrible Monsters roared past him. Icepaw and Cloudpaw jumped, even though they weren't as close to it. Ashstar didn't even flinch when it raced by.

"Wow," Icepaw and Cloudpaw both muttered quietly to themselves. Even Runningshade seemed impressed.

"Now, let's go," he said and ran across the wide path. Icepaw, Cloudpaw and Runningshade ran across after him.

The ground felt really weird as Icepaw ran across it. She wanted to stop and have a better look at it,but knew this wasn't the time.

"Hurry," Ashstar called when he got to the other side. The three cats soon joined him right before another monster dashed behind them.

Icepaw and Cloudpaw jumped in shock but once again, Ashstar was unaffected.

"It's usually worse than this," he muttered to himself.

"We're almost there," he said louder and the four cats headed up Highstones.

As they all moved up, Icepaw was staring into the cave. It was so dark… It was hard to imagine the Moonstone was inside there. She noticed the moon was coming out from behind the mountains as well, which didn't help.

She understood why the cave entrance was called Mothermouth. It looked like a huge mouth of a hideous monster about to eat her and will never let her out.

She swallowed these fears and followed the others.

Ashstar and Runningshade stopped before entering and the leader turned to the apprentices.

"Once we step inside, no one must speak for any reason. Runningshade will wait here and keep watch until we return. When we go in, there are two paths; only one of them lead to the Moonstone. Feel the cave walls with your whiskers."

Icepaw and Cloudpaw nodded then the three of them continued on.

_So dark; so cold. What if I take the wrong path? _Icepaw was unintentionally filling her head with negative thoughts as she walked through the cave. She decided to follow the leaders scent, for he probably knows which was to go by heart.

Not being able to see a thing in the dark freaked her out. She felt blind. Like her eyes were closed but no matter how many times she opens them, all she saw was darkness.

But her fears faded as she walked into a brilliant light. It actually stung her eyes slightly until she adjusted herself to the brightness. Icepaw stepped closer to it and was able to see Ashstar and Cloudpaw now. Ashstar was completely relaxed like always and Cloudpaw looked excited.

Then she looked at the Moonstone. It was even bigger and better then she thought. It was a large stone in the middle of the cave. And it was glowing. She saw a hole in the ceiling and guessed the moonlight was shining down on it.

Ashstar glanced to both apprentices, making sure he had their attention, and then he moved closer to the Moonstone and touched it with his nose and closed his eyes.

Icepaw and Cloudpaw did the same thing.

She closed her eyes and touched her nose to the Moonstone. It was so cold. Icepaw wondered how she could possibly fall asleep like this.

She opened her eyes to see if Cloudpaw fell asleep yet, but she found herself in a misty clearing instead. There were several trees in the distance and a small stream running past her.

"Where am I?" she muttered to herself.

"You're dreaming." I voice came from behind her. Icepaw spun around and saw a cat she hasn't seen in a long time."

"Mother!" Icepaw exclaimed and ran up to the tall she-cat.

"I can't believe it's you," she said to Lily, the former loner.

"I was actually surprised when I came here. Starclan must have invited me here because I already believed in them and knew so much about them from your father."

Icepaw was so glad to know her mother was watching her from Starclan. Her pelt was cleaner and more beautiful then she has ever seen it before. She looked so carefree and calm.

"So where is father?" Icepaw asked her.

"He isn't here at the moment."

Icepaw guessed Shadowthorn was talking to Cloudpaw. It's very likely.

"How is Starclan? Can you watch us anytime you want? When I'm confused, can you visit me in my dreams?" Icepaw asked, her mind buzzing with questions. She doubted any live cat knew the answers to these questions.

Lily smiled again. "Follow your heart and you will always know what to do. I am very proud of you."

Lily then suddenly turned and walked away, covered by the fog.

"Mother, wait! We hardly got any time to talk!" she called by there was no reply. Then everything around her began fading away.

.

"Ashstar," I voice came from behind him. The leader opened his eyes and found himself in a forest. He turned to the voice.

"Good to see you again, Greystar." Greystar was the leader before Ashstar and his former mentor.

"Good to see you too, Ashstar. But tonight, we don't have time for small talk," the tall, light grey tom said.

"What is it?" Ashstar asked, knowing this was serious.

Greystar looked straight at Ashstar while he spoke. "Trust will die and death will revive. Only then will darkness befall the path of ice."

Ashstar didn't respond at first. He quickly thought over the Starclan cats' message.

Greystar turned around and walked away before Ashstar could respond. He didn't call after him, knowing Starclan cats never answer when they were leaving.

Soon after, the forest began fading away, and he knew he was waking up.

.

.

Icepaw jumped up and found herself in front of the Moonstone once again. She looked over to Ashstar who was already awake then at Cloudpaw who was still sleeping. She walked over and nudged her sister to wake up, but stopped herself, wondering if she was in the middle of something important.

But Cloudpaw woke up and looked up at her sister with a smile then looked over to Ashstar. He nodded and began walking. The two apprentices followed him out.

Icepaw would be frightened by the cave as she was before, but she felt much stronger now since she saw her mother again.

It didn't take long for the cats to find the exit. The moonlight stretched into the cave and they saw Runningshade waiting for them.

Once they came out of Mothermouth, Ashstar finally spoke once again. "I'm sure you are all hungry. We can hunt on the way back."

They crossed the Thunderpath again, which wasn't too bad since there where much less Monsters then earlier.

As they traveled through the moor, all the cats found and caught a rabbit so they could all enjoy one together.

After eating, the four cats continued back to camp.

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When they all returned, Ashstar, Runningshade, Icepaw, and Cloudpaw all went straight to their nests for some sleep. All the other cats have already been asleep for some time before they returned.

When Cloudpaw and Icepaw joined the other apprentices, Cloudpaw was out in seconds and Icepaw quickly followed.

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Icepaw woke up the next morning. Feeling refreshed yet still a bit groggy. She suddenly noticed she had slept the day away. Icepaw must have been more tired they she first thought.

She stood up and walked over to Cloudpaw who was talking to Rowanpaw.

"Hey guys," she said as she walked over. She had to speak a little louder thanks to the powerful wind blowing through the moor.

"Hello Icepaw," Rowanpaw welcomed.

"Icepaw guess what? Rowanpaw is getting his warrior name today," Cloudpaw said excitedly.

"Whoa, that's awesome! Congratulations," Icepaw exclaimed.

"Thanks. I hope Ashstar gives me a good name."

"He probably will. Don't worry about it," Icepaw assured him.

That's when the three apprentices heard the call for a clam meeting by the Tallrock. They all gathered with the other clan members while Ashstar stood on the rock.

"Rowanpaw step up," Ashstar announced and the brown tom jumped onto the rock, holding in his excitement very well.

"I, Ashstar, leader of Windclan, call upon my warrior ancestors to look down on this apprentice. He has trained hard to understand the ways of your noble code, and I commend him to you as a warrior in his turn."

Ashstar paused for a second and turned to Rowanpaw.

"Rowanpaw, do you promise to uphold the warrior code and to protect and defend your Clan, even at the cost of your life?"

"I do," he replied.

"Then by the powers of Starclan, I give you your warrior name. Rowanpaw, from this moment you will be known as Rowanpelt. Starclan honors your patience, and we welcome you as a full warrior of Windclan."

Ashstar then rested his muzzle on Rowanpelts' head and the new warrior licked the leaders shoulder as tradition.

The crowd of Windclan cats chanted his name. "Rowanpelt, Rowanpelt!"

Rowanpelt stepped down and Ashstar continued.

"By naming apprentices, we show that Windclan is strong and will remain so for many moons to come. And today, we have three kits that are ready for their names."

Icepaw had no idea they had new apprentices today. The three could only be the kits she met at her night in the nursery so long ago.

"Stonekit, step up." The grey and brown tom jumped onto the Tallrock, trying to cover his excitement.

"Stonekit**, **you have reached the age of six moons, and it is time for you to be apprenticed. From this day on, until you receive your warrior name, you will be known as Stonepaw. Your mentor will be Leopardflower. I trust she will pass down all she knows to you."

Leopardflower jumped onto the rock. She had a calm smile.

The spotted she-cat and Stonepaw softly touched noses then both jumped down.

"Next is Rainkit," Ashstar continued. Rainkit jumped onto the Tallrock. She faced the leader. She looked calm but the large smile on her face said differently.

"Rainkit**, **from this day on, until you receive your warrior name, you will be known as Rainpaw. Your mentor will be Sunclaw. I trust Sunclaw will pass down all he knows to you."

The small orange tabby jumped on the rock. He was odiously happy. Sunclaw and Rainpaw touched noses then jumped down.

"And finally, Nightkit."

That's when Heatherwish joined Ashstar on the Tallrock.

Cats of Windclan, as you know, I will not be around forever-" she started." -so it's time I took an apprentice. I have chosen a cat who has shown to be understanding and caring. Your next medicine cat will be Nightpaw."

Ashstar spoke again. "Nightpaw, do you accept the post of apprentice to Heatherwish?"

"I do," the dark grey tom replied.

"Then at the half-moon, you must travel to the Moonstone to be accepted by Starclan before the other medicine cats," Heatherwish announced.

"The good wishes of all Windclan will go with you." Ashstar finished and the medicine cat and apprentice jumped down after touching noses.

"Stonepaw, Rainpaw, Nightpaw!" The crowd chanted to the new apprentices.

"Clan meeting dismissed."

The clan cats all continued to whatever they were doing after congratulating the new apprentices and Rowanpelt.

Rowanpelt was talking to Gravelstone and Mudwhisker about his Vigil, so Icepaw and Cloudpaw decided not to interrupt. Instead they joined Bramblepaw and Breezepaw who were talking to the two new warrior apprentices.

"We're finally apprentices," Stonepaw cheered with his sister. "This is going to be great."

"It's not all that great," Breezepaw muttered. "It's a lot of work. Just ask the loners."

The two sisters and Bramblepaw all glared at Breezepaw, and then continued talking to Rainpaw and Stonepaw.

"How do you think Nightpaw will do as a medicine cat?" Cloudpaw asked the two.

"I think he'll be the best medicine cat ever," Rainpaw said cheerfully. "I wish he was training as warriors with us, but he really wanted to do this."

"I'm sure he will be great at it," Bramblepaw added.

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After the ceremonies, Ashstar found Heatherwish, who was currently speaking to Nightpaw. She paused the conversation when he walked up to her.

"I hope I'm not interrupting," Ashstar said to them.

"No, we were just finishing up," Heatherwish replied. "Nightpaw, why don't you go join your friends?"

Nightpaw nodded and ran off to find the other apprentices.

"Now what do you need?"

"I need to tell you about what happened at the Moonstone the other night."

"I see… Let's go to my den." The two cats walked into the medicine cat den to speak in private.

The blue tortious-shell faced Ashstar once they were both in.

"Greystar visited me," Ashstar began.

"Oh, that's nice. What did he say?" Heatherwish asked.

"He told me this; Trust will die and death will revive. Only then will darkness befall the path of ice." Heathwish waited a moment before replying. As she thought about what the leader said, a cold gust of wind found its way into the den, adding to the effect.

"It's a prophecy. It must be," the medicine cat said quietly.

"But what does it mean? Can you make anything out of this?"

"I'm afraid not. This prophecy doesn't give us much to work with. The only way to figure out what it means is to wait for part of it to take effect."

"I see," Ashstar muttered. "Can't we go back to the Moonstone and ask?"

"Doubt it. They never openly explain what a prophecy means. They may send us a sign to help, but there isn't much they might do other than that."

Ashstar and Heatherwish stood in silence in the medicine cat den for a moment, both thinking about the prophecy and what to do about it.

"The last thing it says is 'darkness will befall the path of ice.' That could mean many things. Prophecies are often about things you didn't expect," Heatherwish explained.

"If it's talking about a cat, there are many cats in other clans with ice related names. Or 'ice' might mean bare-leaf," Ashstar thought out loud.

"Yes, both of those are possible… The answer to this will take time to uncover."

"Yes… It's getting late," Ashstar pointed out.

"Right; we can discuss this more tomorrow."

And with that, Ashstar left the medicine cat den.

.

Icepaw and Cloudpaw got the day off because of all that has happened and that there was little time left for training.

Icepaw and Cloudpaw were in their nests, just resting after the exciting day with the new apprentices. The sun was going down and Icepaw just remembered she never told her sister about the dream with their mother.

"Hey Cloudpaw."

"Yeah?"

"Who did you talk to in the moonstone in your dreams?" Icepaw asked calmly.

"Mother visited me. Isn't that great?"

"Really? Wow. She visited me too. But our father wasn't there…"

"Yeah, same for me. He was probably busy with Starclan stuff," Cloudpaw pondered.

The sisters thought about it for a while until it got dark. They both decided to go to sleep once the other apprentices joined them to do so.

Icepaw wondered if her mother would visit her in her dreams, but she doubted it.

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**A/N: I think this is the longer chapter yet… Wow. Very exciting. We are finally started to get somewhere. This is the true beginning to many events I have planned. I hope you all like this little prophecy I thought up. It's very important for the whole story. (Like all prophecies are.)**

**Anyway, Thanks for reading and review. =D **

**Have a nice day~**


	10. Bravery

_Chapter 10_

Many days have passed since Icepaw traveled to the Moonstone. Since then, everything has been uneventful for the most part. She has spent these days training with Stormtooth and caring for the elders along with the other apprentices.

Her daily runs from camp to the farthest border have become easier and easier, though she is always exhausted afterwards. Stormtooth hasn't stopped erupting on her every time she did something wrong or questioned him.

Ashstar and Heatherwish continued to have trouble with understanding the prophecy, and both decided there was nothing they could do at the moment. Refusing to let it get in the way of their responsibilities, they planned to wait and see what happens, then take action once they know what to do.

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Icepaw woke up one morning to see most of the apprentices have already left. Stonepaw was just waking up as well, and she saw Breezepaw was talking to Moonheart by the elders den.

Icepaw stood up and walked into the middle of camp. She scanned the area for someone to talk to. She felt like having a little conversation.

She saw Gravlestone, Rowanpelt, and Dustfoot walk into camp, probably returning from a border patrol.

They headed straight for Ashstar, who just noticed them and walked towards them as well.

"How did it go?" Icepaw heard Ashstar ask.

"It was fine," Gravelstone replied. "No problems on the borders. Although we did find recent traces of a dog in the territory."

"Where was this?"

"Not too far from camp, actually; near the river. We didn't spend too much time checking it out," the deputy replied.

"I see. I'll send a party over there. If they find the dog, they'll need to chase it out."

The conversation ended and the three cats left. Ashstar remained where he was, figuring out who to send.

"Moonheart," he called as he walked over to the cream colored she-cat.

"Yes Ashstar?"

"I need you and some others to search for a dog in our territory."

"Alright," she replied. "Can Breezepaw come with me?"

"I suppose. Breezepaw will join you along with…" he started, looking through camp once again, about to say some names. Before he had a chance, Icepaw ran up to him.

"Ashstar, you need to send me on that patrol to find the dog."

"What? Why would you want to go so badly?" He asked, noticing her determined expression.

"Because I lost my parents to dogs. If there is a dog in our territory, I want to be there to make sure it doesn't hurt anyone else," she replied.

Ashstars' voice softened. "That is a noble reason."

"Please Ashstar. I need to go," Icepaw continued.

Ashstar sighed. "Fine, you and Stormtooth can join them."

Icepaw cheered up. "Thank you," she said with a nod. Then the apprentice left to find Stormtooth.

She soon found her mentor not far from where she spoke to Ashstar.

"Stormtooth, I have great news," he said as she ran up to him.

"And what would that be?" he asked with sigh, doubting he'll care.

"Ashstar is letting us go on the patrol to find the dog in our territory."

"A dog?" He asked, this being the first time he heard about it.

"Yeah. By the river. I heard Gravelstone and Ashstar talking about it  
and asked if we could go," she said with a proud smile.

"You shouldn't do that, Icepaw. If the leader never intended on sending you, you shouldn't bother him about it," he scolded accusingly.

Icepaws' smile dropped. "I'm sorry," she muttered. "Are you going to ask him to pick someone else?"

"No. Let's go," he said quickly and walked past her, towards the camp exit. Icepaw smiled again once he replied. She knew he would want to go too.

The two cats joined Moonheart and Breezepaw by the exit. The two warriors began talking about where they should start search and such, while Icepaw walked up to Breezepaw.

"Hi," she said simply.

"Hey," he replied. Icepaw noticed he had an expression of either sadness or annoyance but she couldn't tell which once it was.

"Are you okay?" She asked the tom, concerned.

"Yeah, I'm fine," he snapped.

Icepaw narrowed her eyes. "I don't think so. Come on; tell me what's bothering you."

Breezepaw sighed and looked at his paws. "I have wanted to apologize to you."

This took Icepaw by surprise. She never expected Breezepaw to apologize to her. "For what?"

"For being so mean when you first joined Windclan," he said, looking back up at her now. "I was being a mouse brain. I thought you would be confused of how things worked and well, annoying. But I was wrong. You understood pretty much everything like you lived here your whole life. And I'm sorry," he muttered. Icepaw knew apologizing was hard for him, but she felt he was being sincere.

"It's okay Breezepaw," she said with a smile.

Breezepaw forced himself to smil back, but before he could say anything, the two mentors turned to them.

"We're going to start by going up the river until we reach the border. If we still don't find the dog by then, we'll head near the barn," Moonheart explained to both of them. "Understood?"

Icepaw and Breezepaw both nodded and the four set off near the Riverclan border.

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Once the patrol got to the Riverclan border, they continued up as planned with still no sight of the dog.

After a while of walking up, alongside the river, Moonheart was able to faintly smell a dog somewhere.

The quickened their pace. The smell soon got stronger until they saw it. The dog was resting by a large rock. The four cats all stood still, wondering if the dog was awake or not. But the dog answered their question when it raised its head and saw them.

Without warning, the dark brown dog jumped up and ran towards them, barking.

Stormtooth and Moonheart reacted first. They ran out of the way and Icepaw and Breezepaw soon followed their mentors before the dog reached them. Stormtooth jumped onto the dogs' side and dug his claws into its pelt. The dog barked more and shook him off then turned to him while he picked himself off of the ground. The dog bit down on his tail, but let go when Moonheart clawed the dogs side.

The dog barked again then growled at the four cats, now all facing the dog. Breezepaw and Icepaw charged at the dog. Breezepaw jumped on the dogs back, like Stormtooth did and Icepaw clawed at the dogs legs. The dog fought to get Breezepaw off and snapped its jaws at Icepaw, but missed.

Breezepaw was thrown off and Moonheart hissed at the dog. The large animal then ran down the river, heading in the direction of Fourtrees.

"After it," Stormtooth commanded and the four cats ran after the dog.

The cats chased the dog until it they saw it was heading straight for Fourtrees, about to leave their territory.

"Alright, it's leaving…" Stormtooth muttered.

"Aren't we going to stop it from entering the other clans?" Icepaw asked him urgently.

"Why should we? It's not our problem anymore."

"So?" Icepaw demanded, now angry. "I said I won't let anyone get hurt by that dog! That includes the other clans." Icepaw ran away from them and after the dog.

"Wait," Breezepaw shouted and jumped in front of Icepaw before she could get far. "He already said it's not our problem. Why are you freaking out over it?"

"Out of my way," Icepaw said sternly then ran around Breezepaw and after the dog.

She blazed down the moor, seeing the dog ahead of her. She felt faster than she ever had before. She thanked Stormtooths' training and Starclan for that.

She quickened her pace when she saw the dog run towards Fourtrees. She followed it through the forest. It ran straight through Fourtrees and headed for Thunderclan territory. Icepaw got closer and closer and when she found the time, Icepaw jumped forward and landed on the dogs' head. She aimed for its back, but the dog stopped running at the last second. She dog barked and spun around, trying to get Icepaw off. She was eventually thrown off and landed on her back. The dog turned to her and was about to attack, until three more cats jumped onto the dogs back, distracting it from Icepaw.

She stood back up as the three cats fought off the dog. The dog ran off and to Icepaws' surprise, the three cats surrounded Icepaw, which none looked very happy to see her.

Stormtooth, Moonheart, and Breezepaw all joined Icepaw and all four of them faced the other cats, which were just joined by one more.

Icepaw recognized two of the cats, which she knew to be Thunderclan; Redpaw and Hawkwing.

"What would you four happen to be doing on Thunderclan land?" the Thunderclan deputy asked with a scowl.

"We came here to help my apprentice fight off a dog," Stormtooth replied, glaring at Hawkwing, who was glaring back at him.

"Swiftpelt, Spottedfire and I took care of the dog before you even got here," Hawkwing remarked.

Icepaw saw the deputy glance over to Redpaw. He looked shaken up, but not hurt. The dog must have suddenly stopped because Redpaw was right there.

"Only because Icepaw showed up first. If she hadn't, your apprentice would be crowfood by now," Stormtooth growled again.

"Oh, enough of this," the golden she-cat said.

"Swiftpelt, this doesn't concern you," Hawkwing replied to her.

All five warriors began arguing now. While they were distracted, Icepaw walked up to Redpaw.

"Are you okay?" She asked him.

"Yeah," Redpaw replied. "Thanks for helping."

Breezepaw walked up to the two of them.

"Who's this?" He asked, wondering how to treat the Thunderclan apprentice.

"This is Redpaw. I met him at the gathering. And Redpaw, this is Breezepaw."

"Hello, Breezepaw."

"Hi," Breezepaw replied simply, still a little confused.

The apprentices looked over to the warriors and Redpaw sighed. "Will they ever stop fighting?"

"Just wait," Breezepaw said. "That'll be us one day."

"I hope not," Icepaw muttered and the three of them laughed.

They noticed the arguing quieted down, so they both returned to the warriors' sides.

"Well then," Moonheart said, breaking through the mindless arguments. "Goodbye."

She walked away from the border and the other Windclan cats followed.

They went through Fourtrees and back on their own land.

"So what happened to the dog?" Breezepaw asked the warriors.

"It ran off and followed the river, I believe," Stormtooth replied. "It probably won't stop running until it can no longer smell cat."

_Back to its pack, _Icepaw thought sourly to herself.

Stormtooth spoke up again. "Let's get back to camp."

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The patrol later returned to camp. Everyone was tired from fighting the dog and arguing with Thunderclan. Moonheart and Breezepaw left to report what happened to Ashstar.

Stormtooth turned to Icepaw.

"What were you thinking?!" He demanded, startling Icepaw with his sudden rage. "Going off the fight a dog in another clans' territory? That's completely insane."

Icepaw sighed. "Can't you just look at this from my point of view?" She asked softly, not wanting him to get even more upset with her. "If that dog hurt anyone, Windclan or not, I would blame myself. I already blame myself for my parent's death."

"They could have handled it themselves anyway," he replied. "I hate to admit it, but Thunderclan has some very talented warriors. They don't need you to try to 'help' them, alright?"

"Alright, Stormtooth," Icepaw muttered. "I won't do it again."

"Good." Stormooth walked away, leaving Icepaw by the camp entrance.

"Icepaw!"

Icepaw groaned when she heard another voice from behind her. She wasn't in the mood to talk to anyone. But she cheered up a little when she saw Cloudpaw running up to her.

"Hi Cloudpaw," she welcomed.

"Hey. Did you have a good day? Silverstone took me hunting with Sunclaw and Rainpaw."

"Yeah, we found a dog a chased it out. Stormtooth yelled at me again. Just an average day, I guess," she replied with a faint smile.

"That's nice. Let's get something eat."

Icepaw nodded and the two walked together to the fresh-kill pile.

Cloudpaw dropped two rabbits in the pile, which Icepaw didn't notice her bring in. They both grabbed a rabbit for themselves, and then the sisters sat down and began eating.

After they finished, both apprentices talked about what happened that day. Icepaw mentioned how Breezepaw was being nicer to her and she also added what happened on the Thunderclan border.

Cloudpaw told her about her day with Rainpaw and their mentors, but there wasn't much to tell.

The sun was setting when they stood up and Bramblepaw ran up to them, looking worried.

"Hey, have you guys seen Breezepaw lately?"

"I last saw him after we got back from a patrol," Icepaw answered, wondering what the problem was.

Moonheart, who was walking by, overheard Bramblepaw talking and padded over.

"He asked to go hunting not long after we returned from the patrol. He should be back soon."

"Oh okay," Bramblepaw said, sounding relieved. "Thanks Moonheart."

She nodded and walked away.

"I'm getting tired," Icepaw said. "Fighting dogs takes a lot out of you. I'm going to get some sleep."

The other apprentices decided to get to sleep early too and they all headed off to their nests. It wasn't long before Stonepaw and Rainpaw joined them also.

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"Hey! S-stop!" a cat shouted as two other cats shoved him forward.

"Silence," commanded a voice from the shadows. He was unable to see the face of who was speaking. "Be thankful we have reasons not to kill you yet."

"Just let me go," he smaller cat said. "I can't do anything for you."

"We'll see."

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**A/N: Hey people, thanks for reading.**

**This story is moving along quite well. I thank all of you for the support and I hope everyone continues reading. ^-^**

**Have a nice day~**


	11. The Search Begins

_Chapter 11_

"He has been gone all night! I'm so worried…."

Icepaw woke up when Bramblepaw burst into the area, asking every cat that walked by the same thing.

She ran up to Icepaw and Cloudpaw next. "Guys, have you seen Breezepaw anywhere?" She asked with urgency in her voice.

"No, why? He never came back from hunting?" Cloudpaw asked as she stood up.

"No, he hasn't. I've been looking for him around camp but there is no trace of him anywhere!"

"You should tell Ashstar," Icepaw suggested as she stood up as well.

"I already did, but he told me I was overreacting," Bramblepaw said, looking at her feet.

"Then let's go talk to him again," Icepaw said.

They all agreed and left to find the leader.

Icepaw noticed Ashstar just finishing a conversation with Gravelstone, so the apprentices ran up to him.

"Breezepaw is missing," Bramblepaw said. "We need to search for him! Who knows where he could be?"

"He has been gone all night," Cloudpaw pointed out.

"He could have been kidnapped or worse," Icepaw mentioned.

"Enough," Ashstar said loudly, silencing the apprentices. "I know Breezepaw is missing. That's what Gravelstone and I were just talking about."

"So you know where he is?" Bramblepaw asked, hopefully.  
"No," Ashstar replied. "But we're going to find out."

Before anyone could reply, Ashstar jumped onto the Tallrock and called a clan meeting. Icepaw, Cloudpaw and Bramblepaw gathered with the others.

"This morning, we discovered Breezepaw has gone missing," Ashstar announced, always one to get right to the point.

Many gasps and conversations rose up in the clan; all wondered what could have happened to him.

"There are many possible explanations for this. I don't want to assume something too quickly without finding any evidence." Ashstar was about to continue, but wasn't able to when Stormtooth cut in.

"It's Thunderclan! They captured him!"

Ashstar simply looked at him, wanting the warrior to explain.

"We met them on their border after fighting off the dog. They were probably just upset about us stepping on their land, so they came here and took Breezepaw!"

Icepaw heard other cats talking to themselves about Stormtooths' claim. Things like "It makes sense," or "They wouldn't do something like that."

"Settle down," Ashstar called. "We could be overlooking this. We will not do anything drastic until we are sure he is in danger. It's very possible he could have just wondered off and planned to come back later today.

"Now I want few small search parties to find any trace of him. If anyone finds something, they are to report back here immediately."

The clan seemed to agree. Even Stormtooth went along with it, though he was sure he was right.

"In the first group will be Mudwhisker, Leopardflower, and Stonepaw."

The four cats all got together before Ashstar continued.

"Next will be Snowpelt, Silverstone, and Cloudpaw." Once again, the cats in that group got together as the leader paused.

"Then finally Rowanpelt, Brightfire, and Bramblepaw."

The final group gathered.

"You three groups will search the territory, looking for anything that may hint what happened to Breezepaw. If anyone finds anything, they will come back here and we will later discuss our next move. Clan meeting dismissed."

The cats scattered, all getting ready to do whatever it is they're supposed to.

Icepaw found Cloudpaw in her group. "I'm sorry you didn't get picked," Cloudpaw said sadly.

"It's alright. I hope you find Breezepaw," Icepaw replied with a smile.

"I'll try." Cloudpaw, along with Silverstone and Snowpelt, left the camp.

Meanwhile, Icepaw ran up to Stormtooth when she saw him.

"I wish I could have gone to find Breezepaw, but we can still have a good day of training right?"

"Oh, we'll be training all right," he replied intimidatingly. "We may have gotten picked if it wasn't for your foolishness the other day."

"What are you talking abo-"

"The dog. You disobeyed orders, which is why you won't be joining you sister to find your friend."

"You knew I wouldn't get picked?" Icepaw asked, getting frustrated.

"Yes. Now maybe you will think first before running off next time."

Icepaw didn't reply. She didn't trust herself to say something that wouldn't upset Stormtooth. As if it was even possible, from her point of view.

"Now go ask if the elders need anything."

Icepaw walked away and headed for the elders den, angered by the way Stormtooth spoke to her.

_Cloudpaw is so lucky._

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"Cloudpaw, hurry up," Silverstone called when she noticed her apprentice was falling behind."

"What's on your mind?" She asked when Cloudpaw ran up.

"I'm just worried about Breezepaw."

"We'll find him."

Silverstone, Cloudpaw, and Snowpelt have just left camp and were searching for anything that would show them what happened to Breezepaw. So far, no luck.

They were heading north of camp, not far from the Thunderpath. Doubting he would cross it, they didn't try checking. Instead, the group searched the area between the path and the barn.

"I hope we find something soon," Snowpelt muttered to himself and he helped search.

Snowpelt decided to wonder off from the group, but not too far. He didn't feel like they were covering any ground by checking the same place.

As he walked farther away, he noticed the scent of Breezepaw. He quickened his pace as he followed the scent to a lone rabbit, sitting limply on the ground. He could tell Breezepaw caught it not long ago.

"Guys!" He called, excited over his find. "I found something!"

Silverstone and Cloudpaw ran up to him. "What is it?" Silverstone asked.

Snowpelt gestured to the rabbit. "It's not much, but at least we know he was around here."

"Look at this," Cloudpaw said when she noticed something. "There are claw marks in the ground… But why would someone make them?"

Silverstone looked at the closer. The few long claw marks in the ground went out in one direction, but just stopped about a fox length after it started. "It kind of looks like… Someone was being dragged away against their will."

Snowpelt looked at the short trail the marks left, then past it. "It seems to lead out to beyond our territory."

"Should we keep going that way and look for him?" Cloudpaw asked.

"We found something, so now we head back to camp," Silverstone said. But Cloudpaw knew even she wanted to continue searching for Breezepaw, but they had to follow Ashstar's orders.

Cloudpaw, Silverstone, and Snowpelt headed back to camp to report their findings to Ashstar.

When they got back to camp, no other patrols have returned yet. Silverstone found Ashstar and walked up to him, followed by Cloudpaw and Snowpelt.

"Ashstar, we found something."

"What did you find?" He asked when he turned to them.

"We found a dead rabbit which Breezepaws scent on it. Also, we found claw marks right next to it that lead off beyond out territory," Silverstone answered.

"Interesting," Ashstar replied. "Good work. We'll have to wait for the other patrols to return before continuing out search. "

Silverstone and Snowpelt agreed and walked off. Cloudpaw faces the leader before he left too. "Do you know where Icepaw is?"

"I believe she went training with Stormtooth," Ashstar replied.

"Oh, okay. Thanks." Cloudpaw left and headed to the apprentice area. It was empty except for her. Cloudpaw sighed and sat down in her nest, hoping someone would come in soon.

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_Where am I?_

Breezepaw woke up in what seemed to be an abandoned twoleg nest. It was dark and the nest was made out old wood. The room he was in was very small and he couldn't find an exit.

Breezepaw stood up but sat back down when the back of his head started aching. His memory was fuzzy. All he remembered from the night before was hunting, but he was ambushed by some cats. After that, all he remembered was some conversation he had with some cat somewhere, and then woke up here.

The pain in his body started to fade and Breezepaw stood up again. The grey apprentice checked the walls, looking for any weak areas or cracks. But before he could scan the whole room, a long piece of wood was pushed onto the ground from behind and a large cat walked in. He was dark brown and grey with a large scar across is eye.

"Hey, who are you?" Breezepaw demanded, but the cat didn't say anything.

Instead, he grabbed Breezepaw by the scruff and dragged him out of the room.

"Not so hard," Breezepaw complained.

The large cat brought him into another room in the abandoned twoleg nest. He dropped him in front of another cat. This cat was black with a scar running down his side.

"Nice to see you have awakened," the cat said to Breezepaw. His voice was very familiar to him.

"Who are you? Where am I?" Breezepaw asked, with still so many questions on his mind.

"My name is Thorn. I am the leader of a group of rouges. Your correct location is not important at the moment."

"R-Rouges?" Breezepaw muttered to himself. "What do you want with me?"

A faint smile crept up on Thorn's face. "I understand you are an apprentice of Windclan, correct?"

Breezepaw didn't reply.

"I met some of your clanmates a long time ago. I plan to make a little… Visit and I need some information on the clan from someone on the inside."

"I'll never tell you anything!" Breezepaw yelled, defensively.

"Then perhaps I'll need to persuade you," Thorn said and smiled at him again.

Breezepaw noticed the large cat behind him stepped up. He didn't have a good feeling about this.

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Once the cats from the other groups returned to camp, Ashstar called a meeting. He already explained what Snowpelt found on their patrol, and was no getting to what they were going to do next.

"Tomorrow morning, a group of cats will head out to where the claw marks are. They will follow Breezepaws scent until they find him. We don't know how far out he is, so it may take the whole day. I will list the cats that will go now so they can rest up for tomorrow."

Ashstar paused for a moment. He glanced around the crowd and noticed Icepaw was looking up at him, begging to be chosen through her eyes. Ashstar hesitated for a brief moment and continued.

"The cats who will go are Gravelstone, Mudwhisker, Moonheart, Bramblepaw, Stonepaw, and Icepaw."

Icepaw noticed he hesitated a little before saying Icepaw. She ignored it though, for it wasn't important.

"These cats will get some rest and leave tomorrow. Gravelstone will explain more on the plan to them. Clan meeting dismissed."

Cloudpaw ran up to Icepaw and Bramblepaw.

"You guys are going to save Breezepaw! That's great," she exclaimed.

"Yeah, I hope we find him soon," Bramblepaw replied.

Icepaw thought about telling Cloudpaw she wished they could go together, but she would just say the same thing she always does.

"Good luck, you guys," Cloudpaw added.

"Thanks," Icepaw said. "We'll find him for sure. Good luck with your… clan… stuff." Icepaw sighed, knowing she sounded really lame.

Cloudpaw just laughed. "Thanks."

Icepaw, Stonepaw and Bramblepaw went to their nests to get some sleep for tomorrow, along with the other warriors.

When Icepaw laid down, she began wondering how Breezepaw was doing. While she was sitting safely in her nest, he could be beaten up and confused, wondering where his rescuers are.

She sighed and tried to get some sleep, just hoping Breezepaw was okay.

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Breezepaw woke up in the same room where he was before earlier that day. He tried to stand up, but was to hurt to. He was clawed on his side. His fur around the wound was red and his legs were bruised.

Why did Thorn want to know about Windclan? What's his goal? What is he planning to do exactly? Why?

So many questions buzzed through Breezepaws mind, yet it was impossible to answer any of them at the moment.

But whatever happened to him, he didn't plan on telling Thorn anything.

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**A/N: Not the longest chapter, but not the shortest. But anyhow, I like where this story is going. Hope I'm not the only one. :] Though I wouldn't say I'm the best with coming up with names for rouges. If anyone has some name ideas, please share them with me. I'll need a few more names later.**

**I want to thank everyone who has been reading and reviewing, and hope more people decide to review also.**

**Thanks for reading!**


	12. Search and Rescue

_Chapter 12_

Gravelstone, Mudwhisker, Moonheart, Bramblepaw, Stonepaw and Icepaw already left camp and found the area where the claw marks were found. Gravelstone led everyone forward to where the marks were pointing to before stopping.

The six cats were just now leaving their territory, heading west.

"How far away is it, do you think?" Icepaw asked as she walked next to Bramblepaw and Stonepaw.

"Hopefully not far," Bramblepaw replied.

Icepaw looked over to her friend. It was obvious she was really worried about Breezepaw. He is her brother after all. Icepaw also hoped Breezepaw was alright. Not just for him, but for his sister too.

As the group continued onward, Icepaw looked to the side and saw the barn in the distance. Even though she lived right over there as a kit, she has never been this far out. This was unknown land for everyone.

The three warriors were walking in front of the apprentices. The apprentices were quietly talking to each other the whole time. Moonheart was dead silent since they left. She was too occupied worrying about Breezepaw to even think about talking about anything irrelevant.

Mudwhisker and Gravelstone occasionally spoke to each other but every time they did, it was never for long. They were usually just discussing the plan or wondering where to turn.

The long walk across the moor seemed unusually awkward for Icepaw. It felt weird to talk when she would be the only one. Everyone could hear her and would most likely be listening even if she wasn't talking to them because there is something else to do.

Time passed quickly for the cats. Most of them have lost track or time and forgot how far they have already traveled. It soon got breezy on the moor. Around sunhigh, Gravelstone decided it was time everyone took a break.

They all sat down by a shady tree near the edge of the moor. Here, the conversation picked up as they all sat in the circle and talked.

Mudwhisker and Stonepaw didn't have much to say relating to telling stories.

Moonheart and Bramblepaw could only talk about Breezepaw. They both mentioned some things he did in the past, like the time when the two were kit and he grabbed a large rabbit from the fresh kill pile and threw it on Bramblekit when she wasn't looking and scared her.

Icepaw told everyone about some of the things that went on around the barn when she lived there with Cloudpaw and their parents.

But after a while or cooling down under the tree, Gravelstone said they should staring moving again. Everyone agreed and they all stood up and continued their search for Breezepaw.

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"I'm going to ask you some questions and you will answer," Thorn said as he paced in front of Breezepaw.

The young apprentice was in no better condition then what he was like before. He was back in the bigger room, facing the rogue named Thorn. The large cat, whose name he never got, continued to drag him from room to room. He was also the one to give Breezepaw another injury when he wouldn't cooperate.

Breezepaw was currently in a lot of pain. He had a large claw mark across his face, side, the back of his neck, and several other scratches all over. Also, his front, left leg hurt every time he walked on it. He was afraid it was broken or sprained.

But once again, Thorn brought him into the larger room for questioning, but he refused to say anything before. But Breezepaw was quickly losing strength.

"Who is the leader?" Thorn asked, no longer pacing, but looking right at Breezepaw. He was determined to get answers out of the apprentice

"I told you before; I'm not saying anything," Breezepaw growled. He sounded much more hopeful then he felt. He looked down at his paws. _They'll be here soon._

Without warning, he claws slash at his back like they have many other times lately. Breezepaw growled in pain as Thorn leaned in closer to him. _They'll be here soon._

"Don't make me repeat myself," the rogue muttered, unsheathing his claws.

Breezepaw was silent for a moment, but he sensed the large cat was behind him, probably about to strike at him again. He hesitated for a moment. "Ashstar," he said, too afraid to get clawed again.

"A-Ashstar is leader," he repeated, felling like he just betrayed the clan.

Thorn sat back again, with a smile. "Finally some results."

Breezepaw wondered why Thorn even anted names if he didn't know what these cats looked like. Or did he?

"Now let's continue… What is the medicines name and appearance?"

"U-umm," Breezepaw stuttered. He needed more time than what he could risk to think of what to say, but had to make do. _They'll be here soon._

"Featherwish," he began. He was too freaked out to think properly, but he did know he couldn't actually tell him what she looked like, so he just made something up. "She has light brown fur… A-and her belly is white." His mind raced wildly, trying to think of any cats who actually looked like that, but was having trouble thinking.

"Good," Thorn muttered, pleased with his answers. "One more question; the camp is still in the same spot as it always has been, right?"

"Yeah," Breezepaw muttered, looking down at his paws again.

The apprentice was silent for another moment. He felt the large cat behind him move.

"They'll be here soon," he whispered to himself, expecting to be slashed again, but wasn't.

"They'll be here soon?" Thorn repeated him. "Oh, I get it. You think you have friends coming to rescue you. How amusing." He didn't sound very amused at all. "Just as planned. Now Windclan's defense is lower. When they get here, it will be too late."

Without warning, the large cat behind him grabbed Breezepaw by his scruff and dragged him into the very small room again, then walked out.

Breezepaw tried pushing against the bored that would always move out of the way when someone came in, but it wouldn't budge. It could only be opened by the outside.

He groaned at laid down in the corner of the small room. The room he was in could only squeeze in about 7 cats. He idly wondered why a twoleg nest would even have a room like this.

Breezepaw thought about what Thorn said before he was taken away.

He couldn't help but feel like this was all his fault. Now that he had a chance to think clearly, he realized she should have stalled a bit longer, but it was too late for that. He knew the rogues were on their way to the clan right now. Though he didn't know how many there where, he still worried.

Breezepaw sighed and sank to the hard ground and tried to get some rest.

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Meanwhile, the group of six cats continued walking. Gravelstone found a small area in the ground that was lower than the surrounding area, which had a large rock right in front of it.

The cats hid in there. Gravelstone peaked his head over the rock and instantly ducked back down.

"What is it?" Mudwhisker asked the deputy.

"There are cats a little farther back. And an old looking twoleg nest," Gravelstone replied.

All six cats looked over to bolder and saw three cats standing in front of the old nest.

"Rogues," Moonheart muttered. "They must have Breezepaw. Why else would they guard the nest?"

"Good point," Gravlestone replied.

The cats then went back down and formed a circle so they can all hear Gravlestones new plan.

"We need to get in there. If we sneak up on the guards, more will most likely come out. The other way to get in there is to sneak in. But we can't all go in or we'll get noticed."

"Then us three can go," Icepaw suggested, glancing over to Stonepaw and Bramblepaw. "We're smaller."

Gravelstone was silent for a moment then sighed. "Fine. But be careful. You find Breezepaw and come out right away."

The three apprenticed silently cheered.

The four of them looked past the rock again at the nest.

"Go through the trees behind the nest and get in through the back," Gravlestone explained before they ran off.

Bramblepaw, Icepaw and Stonepaw ran into the forest. They went through the trees until they came up to the large, old twoleg nest. The scent of cat was everywhere. It was easy to see rogues have been living here for a long time.

"Guys, look over there," Stonepaw whispered, gesturing to an open window.

The three apprentices each leaped into the window and into the old twoleg nest.

They found themselves in a medium sized room. There was no one inside.

Bramblepaw, Icepaw and Stonepaw headed for the exit, but froze when I cat ran by. The cat didn't seem to notice them, but it surprised them.

They continued onward, after Stonepaw looked around the corner to make sure no one was there.

"Where is everyone?" Icepaw whispered as they snuck through the nest.

"I don't know," Bramblepaw replied.

"Maybe they're all in the same room or something," Stonepaw suggested.

The cats sound a stair case next to more rooms.

"We should split up," Bramblepaw said. "I'll look through these rooms and you two go up the steps."

Icepaw and Stonepaw nodded and ran up the steps. Icepaw noticed Bramblepaw was really taking charge.

The second floor was just as deserted as the first. Stonepaw and Icepaw decided to split up two and they both checked a different room.

The first few rooms Icepaw checked had nothing in them. She was still wondering why no one was around.

She knew she was getting closer to Breezepaw, but where was he? Was he even still alive?

Icepaw gasped at the thought and quickly pushed it away.

"Where are you?" She muttered to herself. Then she suddenly got the idea of calling to him. She thought it was stupid she didn't think of that before.

"Breezepaw!" She called, not afraid of calling an rogues over, since no one was there.

"Breezepaw, where are you?"

Icepaw waited a moment with no reply. She sighed and was about to leave the room, until she heard a noise somewhere and a reply.

"Icepaw? Is that you?" It was Breezepaw!

Excited now, she ran towards the noise which was in the room right next to one she was in, but no one was there.

"Where are you?" She asked, now confused.

She heard another noise and one of the boards of wood shook. She walked over to it and tried pushing it and it fell backwards onto the ground. She walked in the tight space and saw Breezepaw in the corner.

"Breezepaw," she gasped after seeing how beat up he was. "What happened to you?"

"I'll tell you later," he said, struggling to stand up. "Right now, I need to tell you something."

"One second." She turned to the small rooms exit. "Stonepaw, I found him! Come here."

Icepaw helped Breezepaw out of the room and Stonepaw soon joined them, also shocked by his appearance.

"Breezepaw, I'm so glad you're okay," Stonepaw exclaimed. "Everyone will be happy to see you too."

"Let's go find them," Icepaw said and was about to start walking, until Breezepaw got in her way.

"Guys, wait. I need to tell you something right now," He said, very seriously. "The rogues... They all left to attack the clan," he said, trying to ignore the pain in his body.

"What?" Icepaw and Stonepaw both said together.

"It's all my fault… That's why they captured me and brought me here. They wanted to know about the clan. Every time I didn't answer a question, I got hurt… I caved. I wish I didn't-" Icepaw interrupted him.

"You tried your best. Now is not the time. We have to tell Gravelstone."

"No need," A new voice said. The apprentices turned to the voice and saw Gravelstone walking up the steps.

"The guards suddenly left so we came in. If Breezepaw says they're attacking, we need to leave right now."

Gravelstone helped the wounded Breezepaw down the set of steps and Bramblepaw saw them once they got down.

"Breezepaw! What happened to you? I'm so glad you're okay," she said, emotionally.

"You two can catch up later," Gravelstone cut in. "We have to go."

They found Mudwhisker and Moonheart once they got out of the nest and Gravelstone filled them in. He and Moonheart helped Breezepaw as they all headed back to camp.

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Cloudpaw just returned from a hunting party with Silverstone and Rowanpelt and she dropped her prey into the fresh-kill pile. She saw Rainpaw talking to Nightpaw by the medicine cat den. She happily walked up to them.

"Hi, how's it going?"

"Hi Cloudpaw. We're good," Nightpaw replied and Rainpaw nodded.

"Where is Featherwish?" Cloudpaw asked, looking around the camp.

"She went to search for herbs and wanted me to stay here. Did you get hurt?" Nightpaw asked.

"No, just wondering."

They continued talking, but paused when Hollytail burst into the camp. "Ashstar! Somebody!"

Ashstar and some warriors ran up to her.

"What is it?" Ashstar asked the warrior.

"I went out hunting and saw a huge mob of cats coming this way," she said, panting.

"From what direction?"

"From beyond our territory. Between the river and the barn."

Ashstars' eyes narrowed. "Rogues… He muttered.

"All battle-ready warrior, prepare yourselves for battle," he called to the clan, which already gathered around. "Elders and kits must stay in their dens."

He paused again and looked around. All the warriors looked determined. He was glad to see no one was worried about the sudden attack.

"Everyone, we'll charge into attack. Don't let any rogue reach the camp! We'll show them not to mess with us!"

The warriors and apprenticed of Windclan cheered and followed Ashstar out of camp and into battle.

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**A/N: Oh, our first battle. And I cut it off till chapter 13. I bet you all love me for that. :]**

**Anyways, thanks for reading, review, etc. I hope you're all excited for the next part as much as I am. ^-^ **

**Have a nice day~**


	13. Friendly Visit

_Chapter _13

Cloudpaw, alongside Rainpaw and the warriors, charged at the mob of Rogues.

There were enough rogues to form a whole clan. Cloudpaw had no idea that there was that many in the area.

"Don't let anyone of them get into the camp," Ashstar called just before the two sides collided.

Cloudpaw was tackled by a large tortoise-shell tom. She slipped out from under him and raked her claws against his pelt. The cat growled at the apprentice and clawed her front leg, then pinned her to the ground. She used her back legs and kicked against his belly repeatedly, but she couldn't push him off. He raised his unsheathed paw into the air and was aiming for her throat.

_Starclan, help! _Cloudpaw prayed as she shut her eyes but the weight of the rogue was suddenly lifted off of her and she saw Rowanpelt run into the tom and shove him off Cloudpaw. Cloudpaw was still too shook up to move. The open moor suddenly turned into a battlefield.

She watched as Rowanpelt bravely fought off the tom. He slashed the rogue across the face and he ran away. The tips of the warriors' claws were red with blood.

Rowanpelt walked up to Cloudpaw as she stood up.

"Thanks, Rowanpelt."

"No problem. But it's not over yet."

Rowanpelt jumped into another fight and Cloudpaw decided to do the same.

She saw Rainpaw was fighting a small rogue by herself. Cloudpaw ran up to her to help.

Rainpaw went for the rogues' legs, but he used his powerful paws to throw her aside. She landed on her side and was slowly standing up. She must have been injured before she started fighting this cat.

The cat was walking up to Rainpaw about to attack her again, but Cloudpaw ran into the cat from the side, much like what Rowanpelt did for her. The rogue jumped up and clawed her chest. She tried jumping out of the way, but she wasn't fast enough to avoid it.

Rainpaw got up and clawed the cats' side. Cloudpaw went in the claw his chest like what he did to her, but he backed up once Rainpaw attacked, then ran.

Neither apprentice got any time to rest after that.

"They're getting in to camp," they heard one cat yell. The two she-cats ran through the field of fighting cats and into camp, hoping Windclan won't get outnumbered.

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Gravelstone, Mudwhisker, Moonheart, Bramblepaw, Icepaw, Stonepaw, and Breezepaw all slowly made their way for camp. After learning about the rogues' attack on Windclan, they all wanted to get there as fast as possible but Breezepaw was slowing them down. And no one wanted to admit it.

Breezepaw noticed this also. "Enough," he suddenly burst out. Everyone stopped and looked at him.

"It's because of me all of you aren't there yet to help the clan. I'm holding you back and you should just go on without me."

"You'll just put yourself in danger if you go back by yourself," Moonheart pointed out.

"But it's the only way," Breezepaw complained.

"Perhaps not," Gravelstone spoke up. I think we can return to camp worry-free if one warrior stays here with Breezepaw.

"I will," Bramblepaw quickly announced before anyone else could before her.

"I said warrior."

"What's the difference?"

Gravelstone ignored her

"I can stay," Moonheart offered. She was Breezepaws' mentor, after all.

"Alright then," Gravelstone answered with a nod. "We will see you back at camp later but for now, we have to help win a battle."

The five cats ran towards camp at a much faster pace than before.

_Finally! _Icepaw thought to herself as they ran. _My first battle! This is going to be great._

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Ashstar arrived in camp much earlier than Cloudpaw or Rainpaw did.

There were a few warriors who stayed in camp to protect the elders and kits who were already fighting.

"Ashstar," said a voice from behind the leader. He turned and was not surprised by who he saw. "Thorn: Looks like you've finally grown up." Thorn and Ashstar met before a long time ago. And both remember that time very clearly.

"Yes I have. And I came here to avenge my fathers' death," the rogue told him.

"You probably already know Greystar is not here. He's the one who killed your father. You're just wasting your time," Ashstar shot back very calmly.

"I plan to take it out on you and this clan. Run you out and take your place. Who knows? Might be fun to be a clan cat," Thorn said, tauntingly. He was trying to get Ashstar angry.

"You have no hope in defeated Windclan. Your sad bunch of rogues are no match for warriors."

"Maybe so," Thorn replied. "But if we can't defeat you, we will leave you scared!" The rogue threw himself at Ashstar and they fought each other viscously. Ashstar raked his claws at Thorns side and thorn bit down hard on the back of the leaders' neck. But eventually, Ashstar and Thorn separated, both tired and neither giving up.

They were interrupted when a warrior, Runningshade, ran up to Ashstar.

"Ashstar, we're getting out numbered. We won't last long without all of our warriors here."

"What?" Ashstar exclaimed. This news was a surprise to them. He heard Thorn laughing and Ashstar turned and tackled him. As he battled the rogue leader, Ashstar noticed more and more rogues were getting into camp.

_This is really bad_, he thought to himself.

But before anything got worse, Gravelstone, Mudwhisker, Icepaw, Bramblepaw and Stonepaw all arrived in camp just in time. They didn't need someone to tell them to know the clan was in trouble. When they all attacked a rogue, Thorn began to look worried.

Rogues quickly left the camp after the extra group or warriors came to assist.

"Looks like you failed to scar us," Ashstar said once the fighting began to die down. Thorn quickly looked past Ashstar and smiled sinisterly. "Looks like you've spoke too soon." Thorn said before running away along with the rest of the remaining rogues. It was a full out retreat.

Ashstar was first confused by what the Rogue said, but his thoughts were interrupted by a scream coming from behind him. He spun around and saw something going on in the nursery. He ran inside with a few other cats following him.

They came inside just in time to see a large rogue kill a cat. He ran out through the small crowed that formed. All were two shocked to stop him. The cat that he killed was Berryfur.

Icepaw then jumped in, joining the group. "Hey what's going o- oh no," she muttered after seeing Berryfurs' limp body.

"Someone go find Heatherwish," Ashstar said as he walked up to the she-cats body.

One of the warriors left and Gravelstone just came in too, also wondering what all the commotion was about. But when he saw Berryfur, his expression became full of disbelief and horror. Icepaw then remembered hearing somewhere that Berryfur was Gravelstones' mate. Everyone was silent. Gravelstone walked up to his dead mate and sat down at her side.

"Everyone, let's give him some space," Ashstar said and the crowd left the nursery.

Heatherwish just entered camp. She just returned from collecting herbs someday. "Did I miss something?" She asked when Ashstar walked up to her, already knowing that she was gone for a whole battle.

"Berryfur was killed in the nursery. Thankfully, no one else was in there at the time."

Heatherwish didn't need to be told anything else. She ran past the leader and stopped when she saw Nightpaw. She told him to check if the warriors are injured then she continued on to the nursery.

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Icepaw didn't want to watch what happened next relating to Berryfur. She knew her kits were going to be devastated. Poor Maplekit and Rockkit…

Icepaw soon saw Cloudpaw and she ran up to her.

"Icepaw!" She exclaimed. "Your back: great timing. Where is Breezepaw?" She asked her sister.

"He was injured so Moonheart stayed with him while the rest of us came here to help," Icepaw answered.

Cloudpaw seemed happy that he was okay, yet wondered what she meant by 'injured.' But her questions were answered when Breezepaw and Moonheart arrived in camp.

Breezepaw was swarmed with cats, all glad he was okay. But everyone's smile disappeared when they noticed how beat up Breezepaw looked.

"Breezepaw," Nightpaw gasped when he saw him. "You need to go to the medicine cat den now."

Everyone had questions for Breezepaw but he wasn't given a chance to answer any of them before the medicine cat apprentice dragged him away.

While they waited for Nightpaw to finish up with Breezepaw, the other apprentices got together and explained what happened to each other.

They later got news that Breezepaw was going to need a lot of rest, but he would be fine soon.

Icepaw decided to get to sleep early. She and everyone else all had a full day. But as she headed to her nest, she saw Gravelstone and his kits sitting by Berryfurs' side on the other side of camp. The elders were probably going to bury her soon.

Icepaw sighed and headed to her nest. But on her way there, she saw Rowanpelt heading to the warrior den. Cloudpaw just walked up to him.

"Rowenpelt," she called to stop him.

"Oh, hi Cloudpaw. What's up?"

"I wanted to thank you again for helping me earlier today with that rogue," she said to the warrior.

"It was no problem. I was happy to help," he said with his always calm smile. "Well I have to go. Talk to you later."

"Yep. See you later," Cloudpaw said as Rowanpelt walked away.

After he left, Cloudpaw turned and saw Icepaw waiting for her. Together, they both continued to their nests.

"Long day," Cloudpaw started as she sat down.

"Yeah… I wish Berryfur didn't have to die."

"Yeah, me too… I bet Gravelstone, Maplekit and Rockkit feel even worse though," she replied. "I even heard Maplekit and Rockkit are going to be apprentices soon."

Icepaw and Cloudpaw sat in silence. They both felt bad about Berryfurs' death and neither wanted to talk about. They didn't have to wait long before falling sleep for the night, along with the other apprentices.

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When Icepaw and Cloudpaw woke up, it was early in the day. Everyone seemed to be recovering from the attack and death of Berryfur. Everyone was also glad to see Breezepaw was okay.

Icepaw and Cloudpaw went into the medicine cat den and saw Breezepaw was sitting in the nest. He was still scratched up but he seemed to be feeling better. He already told Heatherwish and Ashstar what happened to him the day before but for now, he was just talking to Nightpaw.

"Hi Icepaw and Cloudpaw," he said when he saw them come in.

"Are you feeling better?" Icepaw asked him.

"Yes I am. My leg in sprained though. I can start training once it heals."

"I hope you feel better soon. At least you're okay… Unlike Berryfur," Cloudpaw muttered, though she didn't mean to say the last part out loud.

Icepaw noticed Breezepaw suddenly looked very guilty.

"Breezepaw? Are you okay?" Icepaw asked him.

"Guys I need to tell you something…"

"Anything."

"Well… It's my fault Berryfur got killed."

Icepaw and Cloudpaw were shocked by this. "How could it possibly be your fault?" Cloudpaw asked him. She also noticed Nightpaw and Heatherwish didn't seem that surprised. He must have already explained this to them.

"When I was with the rogues, they kept asking me what the medicine cat looked like. I explained a cat that apparently looked just like Berryfur."

Icepaw and Cloudpaw exchanged glances, unsure how to respond.

"I didn't mean to!" he insisted. "I wasn't thinking clearly. I forgot there was a cat who was orange with a white belly. This is going to haunt me forever."

"You didn't know," Icepaw tried to convince him.

"Yeah, it wasn't your fault."

Icepaw wanted to say something to make Breezepaw feel better, but she didn't get the chance when Stormtooth walked in.

"Long time no see," she said, surprisingly happy to see him.

"Icepaw, you can talk to you friends later. Like everyone else, we need to get back to regular training."

Icepaw sighed. "Alright, I'm coming. Talk to you guys later," she said to the other apprentices then left with her mentor.

They went to the Riverclan border to hunting training, after Icepaws' daily run.

But before Stormtooth went over what to do, Icepaw wanted to ask him something.

"Stormtooth, when will I get my warrior name?"

"When you're ready for it," he replied

"But didn't I do I good job with rescuing Breezepaw? Isn't that worth my warrior name?" She asked him.

"Yes you did. But even if you did do well, you are still young and have a lot to learn. You're not ready."

Icepaw groaned but she didn't argue.

Stormtooth showed her more hunting tetchiness for different types of prey before letting her try them. The training session was pretty uneventful. Icepaw caught two birds and Stormtooth also hunted. He caught three birds, for that was what they were focusing on.

When they arrived back at camp, nothing really happened at first. But Ashstar soon announced to the clan that Berryfur left to go to Starclan. He also told everyone that Breezepaw was okay and will be back on training soon. He finished the clan meeting after explaining why the rogues attack. Ashstar told them what happened to Thorns father years ago.

His father was found in the territory along with some other rogues back when Ashstar was the deputy. They tried to attack a patrol and Thorns' father was killed in the process. Years later, he tried to get revenge.

After the meeting was over, everyone continued with their day, hoping they could get through a normal day without something happening.

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**A/N: Most of that was just a filler. Since the battle was kind of short, I needed to add all of that unnecessary stuff. But hey, it all turned out alright. I'm still trying to watch for mistakes but I always tend to miss a few…**

**Well, thanks for reading and please review and all that stuff. Yeah. **

**Have nice day~**


	14. Intruders

_Chapter 14_

Many days later, after the rogue attack, life continued to as usual for every Windclan cat. The clan quickly healed after all that has happened; from the captor of Breezepaw to the loss of Berryfur. Gravelstone and his kits took her death the hardest but everyone is carrying along.

Icepaw just woke up in her nest. She yawned as she stood up. Icepaw noticed that Bramblepaw was already gone. She usually left to visit Breezepaw in the medicine cat den as soon as she woke up. The other apprentices were still getting up or talking.

"Good morning," Cloudpaw said when she got up. Icepaw notice she seemed more cheerful than usual.

"Good morning," Icepaw replied. "Did you get a good sleep?"

"Yes, I did." Cloudpaw smiled to her sister. Icepaw wondered why Cloudpaw was so happy, but decided to push the thought aside.

"So what are you and Silverstone going to do today?" Icepaw asked casually.

"We're going hunting with some others," she replied. "What are you and Stormtooth going to do?"

"I think we're going on a border patrol," Icepaw said, gratefully. Stormtooths' training was always so difficult. Icepaw was glad they were doing something else then the normal one on one training session. At least she won't have to run to Fourtrees and back this time.

"Cool," Cloudpaw said. "Hey, before we leave for the day, let's go talk to some of the warriors."

"Uh, sure. But why?" Icepaw asked, confused by the random idea.

"We've been here for a while now but we hardly talk to the other warriors. Only the ones we happen to go on patrols with and such."

"Oh yeah… Now that you mention it, you're right."

The two apprentices walked into the middle of camp to find a conversation. They saw Snowpelt talking to some other warriors and decided to walk over to them.

"Hi Snowpelt," Cloudpaw said as they walked over.

"Hey Icepaw and Cloudpaw. How are you two doing?" the grey warrior asked.

"We're fine," Icepaw replied. "We just wanted to get to know some of the warriors more. We don't really know them very well."

"Well you can stay and talk with us for a while."

Icepaw recognized the other warriors with Snowpelt, but she never really talked with them much. The cats were Dustfoot, Flowerfrost and Blackspot.

Flowerfrost is blue with grey stripes and Blackspot is white with black spots and both of them are she-cats.

Dustfoot is a black tom with brown paws.

"I haven't talked to you two in a while," Dustfoot said to the apprentices.

"Yeah, well we've been busy," Icepaw replied.

"It's great to finally get a chance to talk to you," Flowerfrost said politely. "I always see you two around yet never got a chance to introduce myself." Blackspot nodded.

"So what were you just talking about?" Cloudpaw asked the warriors.

"We were talking about the other clans," Snowpelt explained. "All of them have been acting strange lately."

"How so?"

"Well for one, all of them are acting much more hostile on the borders. Much more than usual," Snowpelt said.

"Yeah, they're acting like we just had a huge battle the other day," Blackspot added. "I'd like to know what they problem is."

"Riverclan is really the only clan who isn't acting like that," Snowpelt said. "Not as much as the others, anyway."

The cats continued talking and Icepaw and Cloudpaw listened. They couldn't say much in the correct conversation, since they didn't know much about the other clans. But the two of them were still interested in learning about the other clans.

But Icepaw didn't get to stay for long before Stormtooth found her and told her it was time to go on the border patrol.

Icepaw and Stormtooth were going on the patrol with Hollytail, Sunclaw, and Rainpaw.

They left camp right away and headed to the Shadowclan border.

Sandclaw was leading the patrol. The patrol was to go through the Shadowclan border, then over to the Fourtrees border. Afterwards, they will head back to camp.

They arrived at the Shadowclan border. Icepaw could hear the Monsters roaring past them on the Thunderpath. She idly began wondering why they never stepped off the path. But her thoughts were interrupted when the patrol began moving again. They walked down the Thunderpath, making sure to mark the borders every once in a while.

"Wait," Hollytail said as the patrol walked along the border. The other cats all stopped and looked at her. "I think I scent Shadowclan… On our territory." The cats all began tasting the air for this scent as well.

"She's right," Stormtooth said. "It's recent…"

"Maybe not," Sunclaw muttered to the others. "We are very close to their border… it could just be the wind that blew it over here." He didn't sound very convinced of what he said though.

"But even if you're right, we need to report this to Ashstar when we get back to camp."

The cats agreed, than continued traveling towards Fourtrees by the Shadowclan border. Everyone was being much more alert then before.

The patrol stopped once more to mark their border and anyone who was hungry also took the time to hunt. Just before they started walking, Rainpaw spotted a cat in the distance on their territory.

"Hey Sunclaw," she said to her mentor. "There is a cat by the Fourtrees border."

Everyone looked in that direction. The cat was too far away to see a face or the exact fur color. But this intruder seemed to be talking. At first, he or she seemed to be talking to themselves. But then four more cats appeared from the forest, behind the first cat.

"They must be from Shadowclan," Stormtooth growled.

Icepaw wanted to argue, saying there was no way to tell if they were Shadowclan or not at the moment, but she knew it wasn't the time.

The border patrol ran forward with Sunclaw leading them, towards the intruders. They didn't notice the Windclan cats until it was too late to run. The patrol quickly surrounded them.

"It is Shadowclan," Stormtooth said again. "I knew it…"

"Get out of our territory," Sunclaw commanded.

"Ah Sunclaw. So nice to see you again," said the first cat they saw.

"You have no right to be here, Bluefire," Sunclaw replied, ignoring the first statement.

The blue she-cat smiled. "Well we certainly didn't come here to get permission."

Sunclaw growled and Stormtooth spoke up. "Leave now or we'll chase you out."

"Alright, we're leaving," Bluefire said with a smirk. Icepaw wondered if they planned on coming back later.

The Shadowclan patrol turned around and began heading back to their territory.

"Bunch of cowards," Stormtooth muttered as he watched them walk away. He turned away from them, about to say something to Sunclaw. But to everyone's surprise, Stormtooth was tackled from behind by Bluefire.

"I'll show you who the real cowards are," she hissed, right before clawing him. Hollytail pushed her away from Stormtooth and soon, both patrols were fighting each other.

Since there were no apprentices to fight evenly with, Rainpaw and Icepaw teamed up against one warrior. The tom looked strong, though wasn't too large for them. He was dark brown with black spots.

Icepaw ran up to him and swiped her claw at his muzzle, while Rainpaw bit down on his leg. He yowled in pain and threw Rainpaw off and clawed Icepaws' side. She flinched and he was about to claw her again, put Rainpaw distracted him by biting his tail.

The Shadowclan warrior spun around and clawed her harshly across the face. She fell on her side in pain. Icepaw growled and tackled him from behind. She dug her claws into his pelt as she struggled to get her off. He rolled over and squished her against the ground. She was forced to release, in fear of betting squished by him again. With Rainpaw and Icepaw both in pain, the warrior walked up to Rainpaw, about to claw her again. Icepaw tried to get up but she knew she wouldn't be able to help her friend in time.

But before the Shadowclan cat could attack, Stormtooth attacked him from the side. The two fought violently while Icepaw could only watch.

The Shadowclan patrol soon retreated by the call of Bluefire, who was leading it. The Windclan patrol waited until they were sure they have left before relaxing.

"Who was that warrior?" Icepaw asked her mentor when she stood up. "Last I saw him, he was Leopardpaw. He probably got his warrior name…"

Icepaw quickly checked if Rainpaw was alright. She would need to see Heatherwish, but will be fine.

The only cat who was the most injured was Rainpaw with her large scratch on the side. It might leave a scar. Hollytail only got a few scratched and Sunclaw got a light scratch on the neck. It wasn't deep though.

"I wonder why they were on our land," Hollytail muttered to the others.

"Yeah," Icepaw agreed. "They being here seemed kind of pointless."

Everyone took a moment to ponder this until Sunclaw spoke up again. "We should keep going then get back to camp. Ashstar will want to know about this."

Everyone agreed and continued on to finish the border patrol. The rest of the patrol was uneventful. To the Windclan cats, that was a good thing. They all had enough events for one day.

The patrol was eager to return to camp. Sunclaw wanted to report in to Ashstar, while everyone else wanted to get checked up by Heatherwish and get some herbs to help any bad injuries.

When they returned to camp, Sunclaw went straight to Ashstar. Icepaw and Rainpaw went into the medicine cat den.

"What happened to you two?" Heatherwish asked when they walked in.

"We met a Shadowclan patrol on our territory," Icepaw explained.

"Well neither of you look that bad. I'll get some herbs in a moment."

She turned around and began searching through her herbs.

"Hey guys." Icepaw turned to Breezepaw who was sitting in his nest, still scratched up, but looking better.

"Hi, Breezepaw. Are you feeling better?"

"Yes I am," he answered. "I'll be able to start training again soon."

"That's great," Icepaw said and smiled.

Heatherwish turned to Icepaw and gave her some herbs, but Icepaw couldn't name them. She also put some cobwebs on her deeper scratched and said she was good to go.

Afterwards, Icepaw said goodbye then walked out. She saw Sunclaw talking to Ashstar on the other side of camp. The conversation seemed to have just finished. Ashstar left right when she saw them.

Icepaw found herself yawning. Though the day wasn't over yet, Icepaw decided to get some rest.

She found her nest and laid down, glad to get off her feet.

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**A/N: Okay I know this is a small chapter. This one is basically a filler. But don't worry, I still have plans… But I'm going to be skipping some days between chapters for a little bit. Need to speed things a long... **

**Anyway, thanks for reading and please review.**

**Have a nice day~**


	15. My Turn

_Chapter 15_

Many days passed since the fight at the Shadowclan border. Nothing out of the ordinary has happened since then.

It was finally time for the next gathering. After Ashstar called the meeting to announce who will go, everyone instantly gathered.

Icepaw had a feeling she wouldn't get picked to go this time. Since she went to the last one, it was Cloudpaws' turn to go. When she gets back, Icepaw will be excited to hear all about what happened.

"It is time to announce who will be chosen to go to this gathering," Ashstar called from the top of the Tallrock. "The cats who will go are Gravelstone, Heatherwish, Leopardflower, Mudwhisker, Blackspot, Silverstone, Cloudpaw, Rowanpelt, Sunclaw and Moonheart. Those who were chosen should get some rest for the gathering. Clan meeting dismissed."

The clan rose up in conversation once the meeting was over. Everyone began talking about the gathering before the chosen cats left to get some rest.

Icepaw had to leave for a hunting party. Cloudpaw went to her nest to get some sleep for the gathering later that day.

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When Cloudpaw woke up, the moon was already in the sky. She walked into the center of camp and the other cats were already getting ready to go. Since none of her apprentice friends were going with her, Cloudpaw spotted Rowanpelt and ran up to him. He was at the edge of camp with the others.

"Hi Rowanpelt," she said once she padded up to him.

"Hey," he replied with a calm smile. "Excited for your first gathering?"

"Yes I am. I wonder what it'll be like; with all four clans in one area."

Rowanpelt opened his mouth to respond, but the group of cats began moving. "Looks like it's time to go."

Cloudpaw followed her Clan mates to Fourtrees. She has never been to Fourtrees before, which made her only more excited.

She walked next to Rowanpelt as they made their way to the gathering place. The Windclan cats soon walked into the forest and Cloudpaw looked up at the overgrown trees, amazed by their height.

"Whoa," she muttered. Cloudpaw slowed her pace while she wasn't watching where she was going.

Rowanpelt softly nudged her and told her to watch where she was going. Cloudpaw looked ahead and noticed she almost tripped over a fallen log.

When Windclan got to Fourtrees, no other clans have arrived yet but everyone seemed to already know what to do.

Ashstar jumped up on a branch attached to one of the large trees while Gravelstone and Heatherwish walked over to the base of the tree.

The rest of the cats gathered beneath the tree as well. Cloudpaw started a conversation with Rowanpelt while they waited for the other clans.

The next clan to arrive was Riverclan. They joined Windclan under the trees and Featherstar joined Ashstar on the tree. Cloudpaw also noticed two Riverclan cats move to the base of the tree with Gravelstone and Heatherwish.

"Who are those two cats?" The apprentice asked Rowanpelt.

"The first blue tom is the deputy of Riverclan, Bluefoot," Rowanpelt explained. "And the other grey tom is Coldstone. He's the medicine cat."

Not long after, Thunderclan joined the other two clans under Fourtrees. Lightstar jumped on the tree with the other leaders. Rowanpelt pointed out the Thunderclan deputy, Hawkwing and the medicine cat, Goldenfur.

Just seconds later Shadowclan finally came. It made sense to Cloudpaw, that they would be last. Having half of their clan all cross the Thunderpath at the same time must take a while.

Rowanpelt also mentioned to Cloudpaw that the Shadowclan deputy is a she-cat named Frostheart and their medicine cat is a tom named Firestripe.

All four leaders stood on the branches high above everyone else. They were letting the clan cats talk for a bit before starting the gathering.

While Cloudpaw waited, she thought she heard someone talking to her, but it was hard to hear though all the voices around her. Finally, the cat spoke up loud enough for her to understand.

"Hey Icepaw."

Cloudpaw spun around to the voice and saw a reddish brown tom. The smile on his face quickly disappeared when she faced him.

"Oh sorry," he muttered, obviously embarrassed. "I thought you were someone else."

"You thought I was Icepaw?"

"Yeah," he replied. "You know her? The one from Windclan?"

"Icepaw is my sister," Cloudpaw said with a smile.

"Oh really," he said, smiling again. "What a coincidence. I met her at the last gathering. You look so much like Icepaw."

"Thanks," Cloudpaw laughed. "My name is Cloudpaw."

"Nice to meet you. My name is Redpaw."

"Icepaw actually told me about you after the last gathering," Cloudpaw told the red apprentice.

"Oh, well you can tell her that Redpaw says hi."

"I will make sure to do that," she replied. Cloudpaw was glad she had enough apprentice to talk to. She didn't care at all if he was from another clan.

"So who is your mentor?" Redpaw asked, breaking her out of her thoughts.

"Silverstone."

"Cool," he replied plainly. Cloudpaw had to wonder if he even knew who Silverstone is. "My mentor is Hawkwing."

"Isn't he the deputy?" She asked wish an impressed expression.

"Yes he is."

"Awesome."

The two apprenticed continued talking until the gathering started. The Riverclan leader, Featherstar, started the gathering.

"Cats of all clans," she started. "Welcome to the gathering. I will begin speaking on Riverclans behalf." She paused for a moment. The crowd was completely silent. "Though bare-leaf will be here very soon, Riverclan continued to have no problem with prey. Also, the warrior, Lilyshade had kits a few days ago. Their names are Streamkit and Frostkit."

Many murmurs of congratulations rose up in the clans as Featherstar waited for them to quiet down. "That is all." Featherstar stepped back.

Lightstar stepped up next. "We have noticed the amount of prey has somewhat decreased over the past moon, but there is still more than enough to support the clan," the Thunderclan leader said. "One of our warriors, Bramblethorn, has moved to the elders den after many moons of fighting for the clan. Also, we have noticed the scent of a cat in our territory. We don't recognize the scent but we will find out who this is. This cat is most likely a loner." Lightstar finished her report and stepped back.

Cloudpaw briefly wondered who this cat was, but she tossed the thought aside, knowing it wouldn't affect her either way.

Cloudpaw noticed Ashstar was the first to open his mouth, but the Shadowclan leader saw this too and interrupted.

"I'll go next," he said, quickly glancing at Ashstar who looked irritated. "One of our elders, Raggedfur, left for Starclan a few nights ago. We also have two new warriors in Shadowclan, Leopardfang and Pineclaw." The forest was filled with voices of grief for the elder, and cheering for the warrior. "That is all."

Ashstar stepped up last. Cloudpaw noticed none of the clans really had anything 'different' to add. Maybe they were finally starting to get along.

"The prey has been fine in Windclan territory. We also welcome three new apprentices into the clan; Stonepaw, Rainpaw, and Nightpaw who is the new medicine cat apprentice."

The large group of cats below began chanting their names before Ashstar continued. "Days ago, Windclan was attacked by a large group of Rogues. Berryfur was killed in this attack. The rogues came from beyond our territory, away from all clans. We chased them off, but they could always come back.

"And finally, a border patrol ran into a group of Shadowclan cats on our territory," Ashstar said and paused. Most of the Shadowclan cats began to argue. Ashstar quieted them. "The two patrols fought and the Shadowclan cats ran back to their territory."

"Lies," Wolfstar yelled. "No warrior from Shadowclan warrior did such a thing!"

"I hope you are not suggesting my warriors lied about the intrusion," Ashstar said as he glared at Wolfstar.

"It's possible," Wolfstar growled. "We all know Windclan warriors are not the most truthful cats in the forest."

All the Windclan cats under the tree began yelling in defense. Ashstar growled in anger but didn't move from where he was. "Uncalled for," he hissed. This was the first time Cloudpaw has seen the leader so mad. "You shouldn't be the one calling anyone untruthful."

The leaders continued arguing. Cloudpaw looked over to Redpaw, who sighed when he saw she was looking at him. "The leaders were arguing at the last gathering too."

"Enough of this," Wolfstar finally yelled, ceasing the argument. "Shadowclan is leaving!"

A quarter of the group of cats beneath of clan left in the direction of Shadowclan. The other clans began to leave also.

"I guess I'll see you later," Cloudpaw said to the Thunderclan apprentice. Redpaw nodded with a smile before leaving with his clan. Cloudpaw then joined up with the other Windclan cats. When she got back to camp, Cloudpaw already planned to tell Icepaw all about the gathering and Redpaw the next morning.

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Ashstar jumped down from the tall branch he was on and quickly found Gravelstone while the clans were leaving.

"Gravelstone, please take the clan back. I must speak to someone before they leave."

Gravelstone nodded and walked off with the clan while Ashstar ran in the other direction.

He charged into the group of Shadowclan cats right before they left and up to Wolfstar.

"Ashstar, what do you want?" the leader asked, crossly

"I must tell you something before you leave."

The two leaders walked away from the other cats to talk. "If you want to tell me more about the so-called 'intruders,' I don't want to hear it."

"You just might," Ashstar insisted. "To bring justice, I came to tell you that you may want to have a chat with you warrior, Bluefire."

Wolfstar didn't reply for a moment. "Why didn't you tell me this during the gathering?" he finally asked with his eyes narrowed.

"If I said any names before all the clans, I would have created an uproar," Ashstar explained. "This is now something only Shadowclan must settle."

The two leaders just looked at each other for a moment. Wolfstar didn't want to say 'thank you' and Ashstar didn't want to say 'you're welcome.' Without any more words to be said, Ashstar walked away, leaving the Shadowclan cats behind and headed back to Windclan camp.

Wolfstar joined up with his warriors once more and they all headed back to Shadowclan camp.

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"And Ashstar continues to create fights," Hawkwing said to his apprentice, Redpaw as they walked back to Thunderclan camp with the rest of the group.

"You're blaming Windclan for what Shadowclan has done for them" Redpaw asked, confused. He now had friends in Windclan and wasn't all that fond of hearing his mentor criticize them, but he wouldn't dare tell Hawkwing that.

"I believe Shadowclan is innocent. Not long ago, Windclan warriors came on our land and he refuses to admit that they did anything wrong."

"I don't see what that has to do with it," Redpaw muttered. "There is no reason to make enemies like that anyway."

"Hawkwing sighed. "You don't understand, Redpaw. He's not trying to make enemies. He's trying to get Riverclan to think that we and Shadowclan are the ones to avoid. He's wants to make Riverclan their ally so they can attack us."

Redpaw didn't reply. He had no idea how to respond. What his mentor was saying didn't seem likely, but he didn't want to argue about it.

The two cats continued walking back to camp in silence for a moment, followed by the other Thunderclan cats who were all talking.

Hawkwing soon broke the silence between them. "You were talking to that Windclan apprentice again, weren't you?"

This question came out of nowhere. Redpaw began to panic, for he didn't know why talking to another cat at a gathering would set the deputy off. He also didn't know how Hawkwing even knew this.

"Well… It was actually her sister this time.

"It doesn't matter," Hawkwing snapped. "You know how much tension there is between the clans right now. We don't need to be making friends with our enemies.

"It's not a problem," Redpaw tried to convince him. "Do you not believe I can be trusted in battle or something?"

"No, it's not that," his mentor said. "I just can't have any doubt when the time comes."

Redpaw slowed his pace and watched Hawkwing walk ahead.

What did he mean by 'when' the time comes? Did he know there was going to be a battle between Thunderclan and Windclan? He sighed at the thought, than continued walking. Redpaw could only imagine what might happen if he had to fight with his friends. He didn't want to, but he knew that if the time really did come, he would have to.

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**A/N: Not the longest, I know. But the next one will be longer, I promise. :) Chapter 16 will be at the POV of Redpaw. We get a glance inside Thunderclan! Yay!**

**Anyway, Thanks for reading and please review! ^-^**

**Have a nice day~**


	16. Mysteries

_Chapter 16_

Almost a half moon has passed since the last gathering. Life continued on regularly for everyone in all the clans. No patrols have been found in other territories, no fights have broken out and no one attacked another clan. With all the tension between the clans, more of the cats are surprised nothing has happened yet. The leaders seem to dislike each other more every moon. The clan cats knew one leader will snap eventually and something will happen. Until then, everyone was just enjoying the peace while it lasts.

As for the apprentices, they continued with their training.

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"So close," Redpaw muttered to himself once the mouse he tried to catch ran away. He was hunting out in Thunderclan territory by himself. The camp is always so busy, the apprentice decided to escape it for a little.

He sighed and began walking. Once Redpaw found a good area, he stood completely still, looking for another mouse. He listened closely to the surroundings and soon saw another mouse not far from where he was.

Redpaw quietly pressed himself against the ground and began crawling forward. When he thought the moment was right, he jumped forward and landed on the mouse before it could run and killed it.

Redpaw walked back to where he buried the bird he caught earlier and dug it back up to take back to camp.

The reddish-brown cat walked through the forest until he reached the small clearing that was Thunderclan camp.

"Welcome back," the warrior Swiftpelt said when she saw him enter the camp.

"Thanks," he said with a nod as he continued walking. Redpaw dropped the mouse and bird in the fresh-kill pile.

Redpaw noticed his mentor, Hawkwing walking through camp. He walked up to the deputy. "Hi Hawkwing. I'm back from hunting."

Hawkwing turned to the apprentice when he heard him. "Great," he said. "How much did you catch?"

"A mouse and a bird."

"Alright, thanks for going out. I've noticed the prey has started to decrease. We need as much prey as possible to prepare for leaf-bare," Hawkwing sighed.

Redpaw nodded in agreement. "I can go hunting again."

"Don't overwork yourself, Redpaw. You can go later or maybe tomorrow."

"Alright," Redpaw replied with a smile and Hawkwing walked away. The apprentice turned around and walked into the medicine den.

"Hello Willowpaw," he said to his sister as he walked in.

"Hi," she replied with a smile.

"Are you busy?"

"Not really. I just finished sorting the herbs and now I'm just waiting for Goldenfur to return," Willowpaw replied.

"Where did she go?" Redpaw asked his sister.

"She went to talk to Lightstar about something. I don't know what."

"Oh, okay. How is the medicine cat training going?"

"Great," she exclaimed. "There is so much to learn. How is your warrior training coming along?"

"It's going well. I just came back from hunting. I hope I get my warrior name soon."

"I'm sure you'll get it in time," Willowpaw replied.

Ever since Willowpaw became a medicine cat apprentice, Redpaw noticed she seemed much more responsible.

"I hope so."

Willowpaw stood up and walked towards the dens exit. "I'm going to meet up with Goldenfur on her way back here. I need to ask her something."

"Alright, I'll join you." Redpaw followed his sister out of the den and through the camp. He didn't really have anything else to do at the moment since Hawkwing didn't want him to 'overwork' himself. They walked towards the leaders den. A golden she-cat walked out as the two apprentices came forward.

"Hello Willowpaw and Redpaw," Goldenfur welcomed. "Do you need anything?"

"Yeah I noticed we're low on marigold. Do you want me to get some more?" Willowpaw asked the medicine cat.

"That would be great. Also, could you get-" Goldenfur was interrupted when another cat ran up to them.

"Goldenfur, you need to go to the nursery!" The tom said urgently.

"What is it, Greyshadow?" She asked him.

"Flowertail is having her kits right now!"

Goldenfur gasped and turned to Willowpaw. "Go get some borage leafs, poppy seeds and wet moss and meet me in the nursery." Willowpaw nodded and ran off to the medicine den while Goldenfur rushed to the nursery with Greyshadow and Redpaw following.

When they got to the den, Redpaw quickly decided to wait outside. Goldenfur walked up to the creamy orange she-cat was lying on the ground, breathing heavily.

Willowpaw ran past Redpaw and into the nursery. She dropped the borage leafs, poppy seeds and the soaked moss by her paws.

"Is she going to be alright?" Greyshadow asked then.

"She will be fine," Goldenfur replied. Both Greyshadow and Flowertail looked panicked.

Redpaw sat by the nursery, waiting for someone to tell him he could go in. He was excited to see new paws in the clan. It was a good thing that new kits were coming before leaf-bare, but he hoped they would survive it.

Redpaw quickly pushed the thought away. He knew the kits would be fine.

"The first kit came," Willowpaw exclaimed cheerfully as she examined the young she-cat. She was a light creamy colored cat, much like her mother.

"The second ones coming," Goldenfur warned.

"How many are there?" Greyshadow asked, still panicking.

"Just one more after this."

Redpaw could hear the conversation coming from inside the nursery. Just listening in while he waited made him feel somewhat awkward.

"It's a tom," Goldenfur to Greyshadow when the second kit came. He was light grey and the tip of his tail was white.

The last kit came soon after the second. She had light, orange fur very similar to Flowertail.

"They're beautiful," Greyshadow said softly, now more relaxed. "Are you okay, Flowertail?"

Flowertail sat up. "I'm fine," she sighed with a smile and began licking the three small kits.

"What should we name them?"

At this time, Willowpaw walked back in the den after telling Redpaw he could come in.

"I want the tom to be named Stonekit," Flowertail said.

"That's a great name. And the first kit could be Brightkit," Greyshadow replied. The new parents both liked the name.

"And for this one?" The queen asked as she licked the she-kits fur.

"How about Dawnkit?"

"That's wonderful," Flowertail exclaimed.

Redpaw looked at the three kits and smiled. "I'll get Lightstar." Redpaw ran out of the nursery and towards the leaders den. She walked in and saw Lightstar in her nest.

"Great news," he said, forgetting to ask permission to enter. "Flowertail just had kits!"

Lightstars' bored expression disappeared and was replaced with a smile. She and Redpaw ran back to the nursery.

"What are their names?" the leader asked when she saw Flowertail cleaning the three kits.

"Brightkit, Stonekit and Dawnkit," Greyshadow said calmly.

"Welcome to Thunderclan, Brightkit, Stonekit and Dawnkit."

Redpaw noticed Brightkit looked frailer then the others, but he tried not to think much of it.

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The whole clan was excited about the birth of Brightkit, Stonekit and Dawnkit. Long after everything died down, it began to get late and Redpaw went into the apprentice den to get some sleep.

When he walked in, his friend Tigerpaw saw him and stood up. "Hey Redpaw," he welcomed.

"Hi," Redpaw said as he yawned and sat down in his nest.

"Did you get any hunting done today?"

"Yeah but not much. It won't be long before prey gets scarce," Redpaw said.

"True," Tigerpaw agreed as he sat down in his nest. "Well goodnight."

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"Ugh, where am I?"

Redpaw stood up and found himself in the middle of camp. But it seemed different. It was dark and foggy. The camp was also completely vacant.

"Hello Redpaw."

Redpaw spun around and saw a small cat standing before him. The tom was younger then he was and looked very similar but his fur was somewhat lighter. At first, Redpaw didn't know who the cat was but quickly recognized him as his brother who died of greenchough as kits when they were almost 6 moons old.

"Flamekit?" Redpaw whispered, amazed to see his brother again after so long. The Starclan cat, though so young, seemed very wise

"Hello brother," The kit said in a way that surprised Redpaw.

"It's great to see you again. I have so many questions about Starclan and-"

Flamekit interrupted. "I have something serious to tell you, Redpaw."

"Oh," Redpaw muttered, upset he wasn't able to have a good conversation with his brother.

"I must tell you that something will happen which will eventually lead up to changing the whole forest," Flamekit explained, more serious than Redpaw has ever seen him.

"What can I do about it?"

"Nothing," Flamekit replied.

"Nothing? Then why are you telling me this?" Redpaw asked, still confused.

"I'm warning you not to go with your first thoughts when this event occurs."

"Oh… "Redpaw muttered, thinking the warning over. "I never heard of Starclan giving cats warnings like this… And why me? Why didn't you tell Goldenfur or Lightstar?"

"The others in Starclan don't know I'm telling you this…"

Redpaw smiled. Even though Flamepaw was a wise Starclan cat now, he will always act like a rebel.

"It's almost morning and I should go," Flamekit said.

"Alright then…"

Redpaw opened his mouth to say something more, but the camp began to fade away. He knew he was about to wake up but he still wanted to say so much more to his brother.

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Redpaw woke up the next morning when the light entered the den. He yawned as he stood up and looked around the den. Tigerpaw has already left. Two other apprentices, Fernpaw and Thornpaw were still in the den though.

Redpaw walked out of the den and into the center of camp. As he walked, Redpaw thought about his dream last night. It was hard to believe his brother actually visited him. But what was this 'event' that will change the whole forest? Redpaw also just realized that he forgot to ask Flamekit when this will happen anyway. But now that he thought about it, he doubted the Starclan cat would even tell him.

Hawkwing came up to Redpaw from behind, breaking him out of his thoughts.

"Redpaw, there is a hunting party leaving with Brackenpath, Mosspelt and Thornpaw. Could you go with them?"

"Sure," Redpaw replied, glad to get out of camp and do something.

"Great. I would join you, but I have other things to take care of. I will be gone by the time you return, but will be back soon after."

"Alright."

Redpaw walked towards the camp entrance and met up with the warriors and Thornpaw. Together, they set out to hunt.

They decided to hunt in the area between the Owl Tree and camp. The Thunderpath was also nearby. Redpaw could almost smell the horrible scent of the Monsters.

"Let's split in half," Brackenpath suggested once the patrol got to the right area. "Redpaw and I will search in this area and Mosspelt and Thornpaw could search over there." He gestured in the direction with his tail and Mosspelt and Thornpaw walked away.

Brackenpath and Redpaw both began hunting. It took a while for Redpaw or Brackenpath to find anything, but they eventually did.

Redpaw saw a mouse just walking out of a hole in the ground. He dropped into a crouch and crawled forward.

Once he was close enough, the apprentice pounced and landed on the mouse. Before it could escape, Redpaw quickly finished it off.

He looked over to Brackenpath who just jumped down from a tree with a bird in his mouth.

"Good catch," Redpaw commented to the warrior.

"Thanks you too," he replied. "Now let's keep hunting maybe we'll get lucky today."

Redpaw agreed and continued searching.

A while later, Redpaw noticed a plump thrush sitting in a tree above him. He effortlessly climbed up the tree and onto another branch. The apprentice got into position and timed it just right. Without waiting too long, Redpaw jumped towards the bird and hooked his claws around its body when he landed on its' branch. After quickly killing it, Redpaw jumped back down. At first, he wanted to show Brackenpath his catch but the warrior was not in the area. He guessed he was hunting nearby and didn't want to disturb him.

A while later, the sun was high in the sky and Redpaw was having no luck in catching anything else. He tried to catch a mouse but it got away and when he saw another bird, it flew away before he could move.

Brackenpath soon joined up with him again. Redpaw was right when he thought the warrior wasn't far.

Brackenpath did a little better than he did, for he caught two mice and a sparrow. The two cats later found Mosspelt and Thornpaw. They also had a good day of hunting and the four of them headed back to camp.

When they returned, the warriors and apprentices dropped the prey in the fresh-kill pile. Brackenpath and Mosspelt grabbed some prey for themselves, while the two apprentices had to care for the elders. Thornpaw already left for the elders den, but Redpaw wanted to do something before that.

Redpaw was feeling very cheery and decided to see if Lightstar wanted anything.

_What would Lightstar want to eat today? _Redpaw wondered as he searched through the fresh-kill pile. He finally chose to give her a thrush (particular the one he caught) and headed for the leaders' den.

He stopped by the entrance of the den and dropped the thrush by his paws to speak.

"Lightstar I came to ask if you wanted anything to eat," he said into the den without looking inside.

But strangely, there was no reply. He wondered if she had gone out somewhere. But that would also be odd since Hawkwing was gone too.

He shrugged and picked up the thrush once again. Redpaw slowly walked into the den, pondering the idea that she was sleeping and didn't hear him. But when the apprentice walked in, his mouth gaped open and the thrush fell to the ground.

Redpaw walked in the den to see Lightstar lying on the ground in a pool of her own pool, facing away from him.

He didn't know what to do at the moment; too stunned by the sight to speak. Redpaw slowly walked up to her body to get a better look at what happened. His legs were shivering at fear of the thought that his leader may be dead.

When Redpaw got up to her, he turned her over and saw a gruesome scratch from her neck to her chest, though it was hard to see how bad it was through the blood around the huge wound.

Redpaw wasn't able to say anything until he ran out of the den and into the center of camp.

"Someone; anyone, come here!" He yelled, grabbing him clanmates attention. "It's Lightstar. She's… She's dead!"

The clan was filled with gasps and voices of disbelief and horror. Every cat in the camp surrounded him with questions. He saw Goldenfur run into the leader den and he followed with the other warriors.

"Oh no," the medicine cat whispered when she saw the leaders body. "She was murdered."

"Who would do that?" a warrior demanded, obviously enraged by this.

"I don't know," answered another cat.

"Someone has to find Hawkwing."

Redpaw ran out of the den, glad to get away from the scene. He spotted the deputy just walking into camp. He walked in with a pile of wet moss in his jaw. Redpaw guessed he got that Goldenfur for whatever reason.

Redpaw ran up to him and decided to tell it to him straight.

"Hawkwing… Lightstar was killed."

His eyes widened at this news and he ran past Redpaw after dropping the moss. He was heading for the leader den and Redpaw followed.

Hawkwing and Redpaw ran through the crowed and the deputy gasped when he saw Lightstars' body.

"How did this happen?" He asked Goldenfur.

"Someone snuck in here and killed her. It was a cat who did this for sure, but she wasn't even on her last life," the medicine cat replied.

"They why is she dead?" Hawkwing asked, now raising his voice.

"The injury is too deep to recover from even for a leader."

The warriors crowding the den began talking about many things at this point.

"Who did this?"

"How is that possible?"

"When will we get a new leader?"

As for Redpaw he slowly walked out of the den, unable to look at the leaders limp body any longer.

He didn't see Willowpaw in the crowed but she must have been there because she walked out of the leader den and over to Redpaw.

"Are you okay?" She asked him.

"Yeah, I'm fine… I just can't believe someone would try to kill Lightstar like that; behind everyone's' back."

"Same," she agreed. Before she could say more, Hawkwing ran out of the den and jumped onto the Highledge.

"Lightstars' death was tragic," he began, already having the clans' attention. "I will do everything in my power to find who did this to her and bring them to justice. But for now, the clan needs a new deputy when I take her place as leader. As Lightstar travels to Starclan, our goodbyes go with her...I say these words before Starclan that the spirits of our warrior ancestors may hear and approve of my choice. The new deputy of Thunderclan will be Thistlescar."

The dark tom named Thistlescar jumped onto the Highledge. He had a long scar on his chest, which was how he got his name. His fur was dark brown and he had many darker brown stripes.

Redpaw wondered why Hawkwing would choose him of all cats to be deputy. He was always so dark and hard to trust. But maybe Hawkwing just knew him much better than Redpaw did.

The Thunderclan cats all cheered for the new deputy before Hawkwing continued.

"I will travel to the Moonstone tonight to get my nine lives. But before that, there is something else that must be done that I believe is long overdue.

"Redpaw, step up."

_What? _Was Redpaw really going to get his warrior name? He didn't even get an assessment. In fact, could Hawkwing even give him his name before he was made leader? Well if he could or could not, Redpaw didn't question it. He jumped onto the Highledge proudly.

Redpaw looked at the crowed of cats before his mentor began talking. He noticed some of them seemed confused too but no one wanted to question the soon-to-be leader.

"I call upon my warrior ancestors to look down on this young apprentice. He has trained hard to understand the ways of your noble code and I commend him to you as a warrior in his turn.

"Redpaw, do you promise to uphold the warrior code and to protect and defend your Clan, even at the cost of your life?"

"I do," Redpaw replied, excitedly.

"Then by the powers of Starclan, I give you your warrior name. Redpaw, from this moment you will be known as Redshade. Starclan honors your loyalty and we welcome you as a full warrior of Thunderclan."

"Redshade, Redshade!" The clan cheered his new name as the new warrior jumped down.

"Clan meeting dismissed."

Though the clan was left in confusion about many things, no one got in Hawkwings' way when he walked over to Redshade.

"You will take your vigil tonight. While you're awake, do not talk until someone tells you to the next morning, understand?" He told the warrior.

"Yes, thank you."

"But before that, you should go eat something. I trust you will do a fine job while I'm gone. Thistlescar will tell you when it's time to start the vigil." Hawkwing walked toward the medicine den, probably going to talk to Goldenfur about the trip to the Moonstone.

Redshade walked in another direction, wanting to think this through.

So Lightstar was mysteriously murdered and Hawkwing is taking her place as leader. Before he gets his name, he makes Thistlescar deputy and gives Redshade his warrior name. And now he is going to receive his nine lives and will be known as Hawkstar.

But questions still remain; who killed Lightstar? Why did Hawkwing choose Thistlescar to be deputy when Redshade could think of many cats that could do a better job? Will the Thunderclan cats blame a rogue, another clan or will they start turning on each other for the cause of Lightstars' death? Redshade couldn't answer any of these. Only time will tell.

On another thought, Redshade tried to think of the positives. His friend and mentor is now leader and he was now a warrior! These warm thoughts made him smile. He had a good feeling Hawkwing will make a good leader. He has always been really nice but he isn't too fond of some other cats from different clans.

But then another thought jumped into his mind. Redshades' brother, Flamekit, told him not to go with his first opinion on some certain event. Was Lightstars' death this event he warned him about? If that was true, then Flamekit was telling him not to be happy about Hawkwing becoming leader. But why not? Hawkwing is a great cat.

Redshade sighed. There was so much to think about. But he had all night to figure it out. But whatever happened, Redshade knew something is going to happen. Something that will change the whole forest.

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**A/N: I told you I would give you a longer chapter, so I give you the longest chapter yet! Woo!**

**Anyway, I hope you all like the name Redshade. I was honestly expecting more people to help out with his name. Instead, two people gave me ideas. So I give out a big thanks to oO-Issy-Oo and Leader of Sky Clan. Even though I didn't use any of your ideas… Thanks for reading and please review! =D**


	17. Sabotage

_Chapter 17_

About two moons have passed since Hawkstar became leader of Thunderclan. Neither Icepaw nor Cloudpaw went to either gathering though, so they learned this much after it was announced at the first.

The news of the newly named Hawkstar made Stormtooth furious because of the long-term rivalry going on between the two cats.

Ashstar wasn't too thrilled about this either. He never liked Lightstar that much, but Hawkstar was even worse.

Icepaw and Cloudpaw were glad to hear about Redpaw becoming a warrior. They both thought that Redshade is a great name. This only made them more excited to get their names.

Over two moons have passed since something happened between Windclan and any other clan. But since Ashstar is against Wolfstar and Hawkstar, he has no doubt that something will happen soon. It's easy to see Ashstar was beginning to worry. The border patrols slowly become larger and larger. Soon, he may think about attacking one of them first.

At the second gathering they missed, Riverclan accused Shadowclan cats of walking on their territory. The same thing that happened to Windclan moons ago. Other than that, the only news was about new warriors, apprentices or kits or deaths in the clans.

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"Maybe I should go to the Moonstone and ask them."

"Perhaps but let's just wait a while longer before doing that."

Ashstar and Heatherwish began discussing the prophecy they heard a few moons ago once again; Trust will die and death will revive. Only then will darkness befall the path of ice. The two of them were in the medicine den.

"If we don't go now, then what do we do?" Ashstar asked the medicine cat.

"Let's just start… Throwing out ideas of what it could mean," she suggested.

"Alright…" Ashstar took a moment to think. "Maybe this is about a certain cat and someone he or she trusts will die… Then be revived… And this will cause the 'darkness befall the path of ice' part."

"Maybe but we still need an idea for what that part means."

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Icepaw was walking through camp when she noticed a border patrol was about to leave camp. She ran up to them and saw Runningshade was leading it. The other cats in the patrol were Flowerfrost, Dustfoot, Blackspot, Moonheart and Breezepaw.

"Hi Runningshade. Can I go with you on the patrol?"

The she-cat hesitated for a moment. "Uh the patrol is a little full… You'll have to ask Ashstar." Icepaw ran off without saying another word while Runningshade mentally slapped herself. It would be much simpler to just say no.

Icepaw looked around the Tallrock were he usually hangs out but couldn't find Ashstar anywhere. She turned and then saw him in the medicine cat den.

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"The path of Ice," Ashstar said to himself once more, hoping some idea will just appear if he said it enough times. "Path of ice, path of ice, path of ice."

"I don't think that's going to work… You're just stressing yourself. We should just stop talking about this for now," Heatherwish said.

"But we need to get an idea as to what this means."

"Hi!"

Ashstar and Heatherwish turned to Icepaw when she jumped in the den.

"Ashstar I need to ask you something," she said, feeing weird about interrupting.

"Not now Icepaw," he said warily.

"But I want to go on Runningshades' patrol," she complained.

"Fine, fine. I don't know why you're asking me, but just go." In other cases, Icepaw would be offended when someone told her to leave them alone. But even she knew how worked up Ashstar was getting.

"Thank you," she said and ran out of the den.

"Oh Icepaw," he muttered. "Wait… Icepaw!"

"What?" Heatherwish asked, confused by Ashstar at the moment.

"It's Icepaw! The path of Ice. Icepaw for sure. In fact, I didn't get the prophecy the night I took her and Cloudpaw to the Moonstone. It has to be her. It makes perfect sense. Now I ca-"

"Calm down" Heatherwish instructed. "We can't know that for sure. This having anything to do with Icepaw is just as possible as any other idea we came up with. You were awake all night last night. It's time you got some sleep."

Ashstar sighed. "You're right. I've been overworking myself. Thank you, Heatherwish," he said, realizing he needs to relax. And with that, Ashstar walked out of the den and headed for his nest.

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"He's letting me go," Icepaw told Runningshade when she got back to the patrol.

"Alright let's go," Runningshade sighed and the patrol walked out of camp. It's not like she didn't want Icepaw to come along, but Runningshade has been getting tired of these extra big patrols lately.

Icepaw walked up to Breezepaw.

"Hello," she started.

"Hi."

"It's great to see you training again," she said nicely.

"Yeah I know," Breezepaw replied. "I was stuck in the medicine cat den for so long. I'm glad to be out."

"It was probably tough in there, right?"

"Yeah, well it definitely wasn't easy," he laughed and Icepaw joined him.

"So we're going to patrol the Riverclan border?" Icepaw asked, just now noticing where they were going.

"Yep, this is probably why Runningshade isn't happy about the huge patrol. Everyone knows the other clans need more patrolling then Riverclan does."

"Well that makes sense… At least we probably won't run into any attackers while we're here," Icepaw joked.

"Don't underestimate them," Moonheart said, joining there conversation. She was walking right next to Breezepaw, so it wasn't hard for her to listen in. "Though Riverclan acts like friends right now, we must always be on our guard."

Icepaw and Breezepaw both nodded in agreement, understanding why she said that.

When the patrol arrived at the river, all seemed calm. They all looked down the gorge at the rushing water below them. A mist sprayed up at them from the water violently hitting the edges of the cliff before continuing down its path.

"Let's keep moving," Runningshade said to the large patrol.

The cats all walked down next to the river. Icepaw could see the giant trees in the distance, surrounded by many smaller trees; Fourtrees.

Everyone was looking forward except for Icepaw who had her eyes locked on the river. She didn't know why, but it was just something she could stare at for a long time, though dreaded to get into.

She just happened to look up at the Riverclan side of the river and saw something that made her freeze in place. She saw a very small kit dangling just above the river from the Riverclan side.

"Kit!" Icepaw yelled, grabbing the attention of her clanmates. Then all turned and saw the kit as well.

Blackspot and Moonheart jumped to the other side of the river and tried to save the kit from falling.

"Go find a Riverclan patrol and tell them what's happening here," Runningshade said to Icepaw and Breezepaw after she jumped over the river to help. Dustfoot and Flowerfrost were still on the Windclan side.

Icepaw scanned the area quickly and found the spot along the river can is closest to the other side. She jumped across the river with Breezepaw behind her. They looked back at the warriors when they landed and saw the kit fell from the edge. The kit was too far down to grab easily. Though the apprentices wanted to stay and help, then ran forward through Riverclan territory.

"I don't see any patrols," Breezepaw said as they ran through the field. The field had many bushes in the area, much more than Windclan had and the air just smelled wet.

After running for a while, unable to find a patrol, they saw the Riverclan camp up ahead and a group of cats just walking away from it, towards them. They spotted the two apprentices and ran forward.

Icepaw didn't recognize any of the cats she saw though. All of them were warriors and none looked happy to see them.

"What are you two doing here," one tom snapped.

Another cat opened her mouth to speak but Icepaw spoke quicker.

"No time to talk," he urged. "Our patrol found a Riverclan kit dangling above the river!"

The warriors' expressions jumped into shock and they all ran towards the river.

Icepaw didn't know how it happened, but when she got back, she saw Dustfoot hooked himself to the side of the gorge, right above the water while holding the kit by the scruff in his jaw. The other warriors were trying the pull him out.

Once the Riverclan cats got to the scene, they helped the Windclan cats pull Dustfoot and the kit back up onto dry land. Both Dustfoot and the kit were wet and safe.

"What were you doing out here, Streamkit?" A warrior asked.

"I wanted to see the river," the small kit said in defense. "I heard it was calm today… I'm sorry, Minnowshine."

"Alright then."

Minnowshine walked away with the kit while the others turned to the Windclan cats.

"Thank you," one she-cat said to them, mostly to Dustfoot since he grabbed the kit.

"We're happy to help," Runningshade replied and the Windclan cats jumped back onto their land. Right after, the Rivarclan cats walked away and headed back to their camp.

"Good work everyone," Runningshade said when she turned to the patrol. "Let's finish this up then head back to camp."

As the patrol continued patrolling Icepaw and Breezepaw started talking.

"It was so cool to get a look inside Riverclan territory," Breezepaw mentioned.

"Yeah it was," Icepaw agreed. She was reminded of how she felt when she first came to Windclan.

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During the rest of the patrol, nothing else really happened. The cats soon returned to camp and Runningshade went straight to Ashstar to report what happened. The other warriors all scatted to either get something to eat, to their dens or somewhere else.

Icepaw and Breezepaw went to the fresh-kill pile and both took something to eat. They sat down near the apprentice area and ate.

"Well today was exciting," Icepaw said to her friend.

"Yeah," Breezepaw replied after taking a bite out of a bird. "I wonder what else will happen today."

"I doubt anything will happen. The clans have been pretty calm lately.

"They're probably scheming to attack us," Breezepaw muttered.

"Oh don't be so paranoid. They have no reason to do that."

"Are you kidding? The clans hate us."

Icepaw laughed and finished off the rabbit.

After they finished eating, Icepaw noticed Bramblepaw and Cloudpaw walk into camp. She called them over and they sat down to join them.

"Hey Icepaw, Breezepaw. How did the patrol go?" Cloudpaw asked.

"Great," Breezepaw exclaimed. "We rescued a Riverclan kit at the gorge."

"Wow that's great!"

Cloudpaw and Bramblepaw left to get some fresh-kill and returned to the other apprentices. No one spoke as they ate until Bramblepaw suddenly looked panicked and she dug her claws into the ground.

"Ahhh!" She randomly yelled, surprising the others.

"What is it?" Breezepaw asked, concerned.

"I'm so stupid!" She yelled again.

"We know that," he replied with a smile. "But why are you freaking out?"

"I buried prey in two different places while I was hunting and I only dug up prey in one place before coming back here," she said, looking very embarrassed.

"No problem," Cloudpaw said, calming her down. "Let's just go get it then."

"You guys would go with me?"

"Sure, come on."

The four apprentices left camp to find Bramblepaws' missing prey. They followed her to the area where she went hunting; at the Lookout Rock.

"I can't remember exactly where I buried it, but it's somewhere around here," Bramblepaw told them as the apprentices searched around the rock.

Icepaw jumped onto the Lookout Rock. She was amazed by the sight. She was able to see the entire moor from there. It seemed like a nice place to relax. Icepaw was also able to Fourtrees from where she stood.

"Icepaw, come help search," Cloudpaw said, interrupting Icepaw from her thoughts.

She jumped down and continued searching.

"Found it," Breezepaw called, standing farther away from the rock than anyone else. He dug up the prey and held the two rabbits in his jaw.

"Thanks," Bramblepaw said, smiling.

"Hey," Cloudpaw muttered, now standing on the Lookout Rock. "Look at this."

The other three apprentices jumped on the rock with Cloudpaw to see what she was pointing at.

They saw something moving near the Shadowclan border. It was hardly visible through the trees and their shadows. The sun was also going down, which made it harder to see.

"Is that an intruder?" Icepaw asked the others.

"Could be," Bramblepaw replied. "Let's not wait to find out. We have to see Ashstar."

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When the apprentices returned to camp once again, they found Gravelstone by the warriors' area. They ran up to the deputy.

"Gravelstone," Icepaw called. "We saw something by the Shadowclan border on our territory. It looked like whatever it was, they were heading to camp."

"Cloud you be more clear as to what this 'something' is?" he asked, knowing this situation was serious.

"It was most likely a cat, but it was hard to tell."

Gravelstone nodded and walked past them, heading towards Ashstar, who was just walking out from behind the Tallrock. The apprentices followed.

"Ashstar, these apprentices saw someone walking on our land by the Shadowclan border."

"Shadowclan," the leader muttered. "How many?"

Gravelstone looked over to the apprentices.

"One, I think," Cloudpaw replied.

"Probably here to spy or steal prey… Something like that," the leader growled. "Warn the warriors. Get some to gather around the camp. Whatever this intruder wants, we'll make sure he doesn't get it."

"Right away." Gravelstone turned and rushed to the other warriors, telling them about what happened.

"We should tell Heatherwish and Nightpaw," Icepaw suggested to the other apprentices.

The four of them walking into the medicine cat den, but neither of them were there. They turned and walked back into the middle of camp, wondering where they could be. They stood there for a while, while thinking of where the medicine cats were.

"Maybe they're out hunting for herbs," Bramblepaw said.

"Maybe," Icepaw muttered. She looked in every direction for the two cats and noticed some warriors were leaving the center of camp and heading to the edge, all ready for the intruder. As she scanned the area, Icepaw noticed some movement in the medicine cat den. She couldn't see who the cat was very well because it was getting dark.

"Someone's in the medicine cat den," she said to the others and they ran inside.

But Bramblepaw and Breezepaw gasped when they saw the cat who was inside.

"Sparrowfall," the two growled at the tom.

"Who?" Cloudpaw asked, confused with Icepaw.

"He's a Thunderclan warrior!" Breezepaw growled.

The saw why the warrior was in the medicine cat den. The herbs were destroyed and he had a pile of some herbs in his jaw, planning to steal them. Probably herbs that weren't found in Thunderclan territory.  
Bramblepaw ran out of them den and into camp to get help.

"You're too late," the Thunderclan cat said before running out of a hole in the den.

"Follow him," Icepaw yelled and the apprentices ran out of the hole too.

Bramblepaw soon joined up with them and some warriors were running after them in the distance.

Icepaw saw Sparrowfall heading for Thunderclan land. This reminded her of when she chased a dog down the very same route.

She surprised herself when she ran faster than the other apprentices and soon took the lead.

Icepaw was also faster the Sparrowfall and was able to catch up quickly.

The border into Fourtrees was in sight when she tackled the light-furred warrior. They tumbled forward before stopping and Icepaw was slashed on her side by Sparrowfall. She flinched, taken off guard by the quick attack. The others soon joined her and they helped fight Sparrowfall.

He dropped the stolen herbs to fend off the Windclan apprentices, but he couldn't fight off all four of them. Sparrowfall saw extra warriors running towards them from their camp and he decided it was time to retreat.

Cloudpaw was thrown off his back after trying to stop him from running. Before anyone else could stop him again, Sparrowfall ran into the forest, out of Windclan territory.

The warriors soon joined the apprenticed.

"We're too late," Ashstar said when he and the others arrived.

Icepaw was surprised to see Ashstar for whatever reason, but decided it was unimportant.

"He left the herbs," Cloudpaw said when she picked them up.

"Good," Ashstar muttered. "He destroyed the rest of them… This is a bad sign."

"Why?" Icepaw asked.

The leader sighed and waited a moment before answering. "It could mean many things, actually. But whatever they are planning, no good can come from it."

Icepaw didn't know why, but she had a feeling Ashstar was lying when he said there could be more than one reason. She wondered if there was only one sensible reason and Ashstar just didn't want to tell her what he was thinking.

"Let's go back to camp."

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**A/N: I got a lot of anonymous reviews for the last chapter and that made me happy. ^_^**

**Also, I know my last few chapters have a lot of errors in them and that I change my writing from past and present a lot. It's just what I do.**

**Anyways, thanks for reading and please review! =D**


	18. Testing

_Chapter 18_

Icepaw woke up the next morning next to her sister and friends. It was much colder that morning then she ever remembered it being. She was, for once, the first to wake up out of the other apprentices. She stood up and stretched. "Good morning everyone," she said loudly, waking the others up.

"Ugh, but it's not even morning yet!" Breezepaw complained while his head was buried in his nest, trying to keep warm.

"Yes it is," Bramblepaw said and nudged him. "Get up."

All the apprentices were soon awake and ready to get on with the day. They walked into camp together. Rainpaw, Stonepaw, Bramblepaw, Breezepaw, Icepaw and Cloudpaw were all about to go separate ways, until Gravelstone walked up to them.

"Hi," Icepaw said.

"Hello," he said quickly before getting to his point. "Rainpaw and Stonepaw, I need to talk with the other four. Do you mind?"

"Not at all." Rainpaw and Stonepaw walked away and Gravelstone turned to the four apprentices.

"After discussing it with your mentors, we all agreed you four are ready for your assessment."

All the apprentices were suddenly very excited.

"But we've only been here for a few moons," Icepaw said to the deputy.

"True, but you and Cloudpaw are only a little younger then Bramblepaw and Breezepaw. All of you have been doing a great job in training and we decided to give you a chance."

"That's great," Breezepaw exclaimed. "What do we have to do?"

"All of you will go out to separate parts of the territory and hunt. Your mentors will hide and watch how you do. Once you return, they will tell you if you are ready to become warriors or not."

"Sounds easy enough," Bramblepaw said.

"You have until Sunhigh. Good luck." Gravelstone walked off, leaving the four apprentices alone.

"We should all get going," Icepaw said, looking at the sky. The sun was still coming up.

"Right. See you guys when we all get back," Cloudpaw said and the group disarmed.

Icepaw found Stormtooth near the camp exit and ran up to him.

"Are you ready?" He asked, without saying hello first.

"Yes I am. Where should I go to hunt?"

"South of camp, near the old Badger set," he replied.

The Badger Set was an abandoned tunnel that was once used by Badgers but there haven't been any there for a long time.

"Alright, I'll go right now." Icepaw ran past Stormtooth, knowing he was going to be hiding somewhere while she hunted.

Icepaw traveled to the old tunnel. There was supposedly a lot of prey in the area but since it was so cold, it will be hard for her to catch any.

Icepaw began searching for something. She was lucky enough to see a rabbit jump out of a hole in the ground. She crouched down and got into position. Before the rabbit noticed her, she sprinted forward and chased the rabbit briefly across the field until she caught up and killed it.

_Off to a good start._

Icepaw was glad to have already had a rabbit though she just started. She looked up and saw she still had time before Sunhigh.

Icepaw continued searching.

She saw something move in the tunnels entrance. Cautiously, she walked into the underground tunnel.

Icepaw saw a mouse washing its' fur in a corner of the cave. She ran up to it but the mouse noticed and ran. It fled into an even smaller hole in the cave and apparently, Icepaw was unable to get it. She sighed and walked back out of the tunnel.

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Icepaw continued her search until the sun was high. She was eventually able to catch a mouse in the Badger Tunnel and another rabbit in the moor. Her catch was actually surprising, since it was so cold. She had a feeling it was Leaf-bare now and knowing how prey is scarce during that time, she didn't think she would do as well as she did.

Icepaw wanted to catch something more but ran out of time before she had a chance. She had to return to camp and only hope she passed the assessment.

When she returned to camp, Bramblepaw was already at camp before her. She saw her talking to her mentor, Brightfire. Icepaw hoped she passed.

She noticed Stormtooth walk up from behind her. Icepaw just noticed how nervous she was. Now that she thought about it, she didn't know if her catch was very impressive or not. Then another thought occurred to her. What if she didn't pass? What if all her friends passed and she didn't?

Icepaw took a deep breath right before her mentor walked up to her.

He looked at her in silence. His expression was unreadable.

"So…" She started. "Did I pass?"

"Yes you passed," he said plainly.

"Yes!" Icepaw cheered. "But why? I thought I needed to catch more. Or show more of my skills or many catch more types of prey or-"

"Enough," Stormtooth commanded. "Even if you needed to catch more or not, you have the ability and potential to become a great warrior."

"Thank you!" Icepaw cheered with a large smile.

"The ceremony will start soon."

Icepaw nodded and turned to Bramblepaw who just walked up to her.

"I passed the assessment," Icepaw told her.

"That's great! So did I."

The two she-cats began talking about how their hunting trip went until Breezepaw and Cloudpaw arrived and joined them.

"I just talked with Silverstone," Cloudpaw started. "She said I passed too."

The three she-cats all looked at Breezepaw.

"Did you pass?" Bramblepaw asked nervously.

"I did," he nodded and they all cheered.

"This is great," Icepaw exclaimed. "We're going to be warriors."

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The apprentices didn't have to wait long before Ashstar called a clan meeting.

"Bramblepaw, step up.

"I, Ashstar, leader of Windclan call upon my warrior ancestors to look down on this young apprentice. She has trained hard to understand the ways of your noble code, and I commend her to you as a warrior in her turn.

"Bramblepaw, do you promise to uphold the warrior code and to protect and defend your clan, even at the coast of your own life?"

"I do," she answered calmly.

"Then by the powers of Starclan, I give you your warrior name. Bramblepaw, from this moment you will be known as Bramblestripe. Starclan honors your spirit, and we welcome you as a full warrior of Windclan."

"Bramblestripe, Bramblestripe!"

She jumped down and sat down next to her friends.

"Breezepaw, step up."

Breezepaw jumped on the Tallrock and faced Ashstar.

"I call upon my warrior ancestors to look down on this young apprentice. He has trained hard to understand the ways of your noble code, and I commend him to you as a warrior in his turn.

"Breezepaw, do you promise to uphold the warrior code and to protect and defend your clan, even at the coast of your own life?"

"I do," he replied to the leader.

"Then by the powers of Starclan, I give you your warrior name. Breezepaw, from this moment you will be known as Breezetail. Starclan honors your independence, and we welcome you as a full warrior of Windclan."

"Breezetail, Breezetail!"

He jumped down and landed next to Bramblestripe.

"Cloudpaw, step up."

Cloudpaw glanced over to Icepaw who gave her an encouraging smile and she jumped up.

I call upon my warrior ancestors to look down on this young apprentice. She has trained hard to understand the ways of your noble code, and I commend her to you as a warrior in her turn.

"Cloudpaw, do you promise to uphold the warrior code and to protect and defend your clan, even at the coast of your own life?"

"I do," she answered, smiling.

"Then by the powers of Starclan, I give you your warrior name. From this moment you will be known as Cloudheart. Starclan honors your enthusiasm, and we welcome you as a full warrior of Windclan."

"Cloudheart, Cloudheart!"

She jumped down next to Icepaw.

"Icepaw, step up."

Icepaw jumped on the Tallrock.

I call upon my warrior ancestors to look down on this young apprentice. She has trained hard to understand the ways of your noble code, and I commend her to you as a warrior in her turn.

"Icepaw, do you promise to uphold the warrior code and to protect and defend your clan, even at the coast of your own life?"

"I do," she said.

"Then by the powers of Starclan, I give you your warrior name. Icepaw, from this moment you will be known as Icefur. Starclan honors your spirit, and we welcome you as a full warrior of Windclan."

"Icefur, Icefur!"

She jumped down.

"You four will start your vigil tonight. Clan meeting dismissed."

The Windclan cats scattered. Bramblestripe and Breezetails' parents walked up to them. Icefur didn't want to interrupt, so she turned to Cloudheart.

"This is awesome," she said to her sister. "I love your name!"

"Thanks Icefur. Your name is great too."

The two sisters talked for a while and Bramblestripe and Breezetail soon joined them. They talked for a while but were interrupted when Gravelstone came over to them.

"I want all of you to get something to eat before starting your vigil. The clan celebrates you becoming warriors."

They nodded and went over to the fresh-kill pile and all got some prey before sitting down again.

"I can't believe it," Icefur started. "Just moons ago, Cloudheart and I were still living in the barn with our parents."

"Life can change so quickly," Cloudheart said before biting into a mouse.

"When I think back, it feels like our days in the nursery were so long ago," Bramblestripe added.

"And now we're warriors." Breezetail finished off the rabbit he was eating and spoke again. "No more cleaning the elders bedding." The four warriors all laughed.

Icefur couldn't believe how quickly time has passed. The sun was already setting and she saw their old mentors walking up to the four new warriors. Moonheart, Brightfire, Silverstone and Stormtooth all faced their apprentices.

"We came to tell you it's time to start your vigil," Stormtooth said. "You cannot speak until tomorrow morning."

"What if something happens?" Breezetail asked.

"You can speak only if it's an emergency," Moonheart said. "But events like that rarely happen."

"Alright, no speaking now," Silverstone said and the four new warriors became silent.

Icefur looked up. The sun was now gone and the moon was in the sky now, surrounded by dark clouds. Bad sign.

The warriors walked off, leaving the cats to vigil in silence.

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They all found a good part in camp to guard. Icefur was between the Tallrock and the medicine den. All was quiet. She was quickly getting tired, and the cold air didn't help either. She sat down, watching the camp and occasionally turning to watch the territory.

After some time has passed, she found herself being nudged on the shoulder by her sister. Icefur didn't realize she was falling asleep until her sister woke her up.

She gave Cloudheart a smile as thanks then motioned over to outside the territory, trying to tell Cloudheart she wanted to walk out a little farther.

Her sister seemed to understand when she nodded and Icefur walked out of camp.

She looked out into the moor. It was so peaceful and quiet, but she was still freezing in the cold weather.

Icefur sighed when it began snowing. She found it odd that it started snowing on the first really cold day of Leaf-bare, but thought nothing of it.

After watching in one area for a while, Icefur continued walking forward until she reached the Lookout rock. It was probably her favorite spot in the territory.

She jumped on the rock and looked out into the moor, able to see everything from where she stood. So peaceful…

Icefur suddenly decided she should get back to camp before she falls asleep again.

She was about to turn around, but froze in place when she saw something. Something that made her feel suddenly wide awake.

A huge mob of cats were running out of the forest and heading for camp!

It was an attack from Thunderclan! She now knew why the Thunderclan cat, Sparrowfall, came to camp the other day and destroyed their herbs. It was to prepare for this attack.

Icefur spun around and ran back to camp as fast as possible. She was already ahead of them, but she needed as much as time as possible before they catch up.

She busted into camp and yelled, "Thunderclan is attacking!" Cloudheart, Bramblestripe and Breezetail all looked at her and noticed the panic in her eyes. Knowing they could talk again, the warriors scrambled into the dens, waking up the other warriors, apprentices and everyone else.

Icefur found Ashstar and woke him up while the others took care of the rest of the cats.

"Ashstar, wake up!" she yelled, knowing there was no time to wait.

The dark grey tom stood up urgently. "What is it?"

"Thunderclan is attacking! They're on their way right now!"

Ashstar growled and ran past her and jumped onto the Tallrock. He didn't need to call a meeting, for everyone was already awake.

"Tonight Thunderclan is trying to pull a sneak attack, but in the end, we will chase them out. We will do just what we did when the rogues attacked moons ago. All the elders and kits will stay in camp. Hollytail, Dustfoot, Brightfire, Blackspot and Snowpelt will also stay in case any Thunderclan cats get through. Everyone else, lets meet them before they get here!"

All the warriors' whose names were not called ran out of camp, towards the attackers.

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As Icefur ran towards the battle, a few thoughts jumped into her mind.

Why did it have to be Thunderclan; the only clan where she had another friend. Icefur hoped Redshade wasn't there… She would hate to meet him in battle.

This was all Hawkstars' doing and she knew it. Ever since he became leader, Thunderclan has caused nothing but trouble. He probably thinks his clan is so strong. But Icefur planned to show him and his warriors that Windclan was strong too.

These thoughts were pushed aside as she and her fellow warriors clashed with the Thunderclan cats into battle.

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**A/N: Before anyone reviews, know that I'm not an expert on the whole 'apprentice to warrior' process. Meaning, please don't tell me if they should have waited a few more moons before becoming warriors, or the assessment was done wrong or the vigil or ceremony or anything like that because I really don't want to know.**

***sigh***

**Anyways, now that I got that off my chest, I can tell you all that this is really getting deep into the plot right now. This battle is actually very important. I really hope you are all enjoying my story and look forward to more, because more is coming your way! Woo!**

**Thanks for reading and please review! =D**


	19. Scars

_Chapter 19_

The two clans collided with battle cries and hissing. The snow poured down over them in the night.

Icefur ran straight at a Thunderclan she-cat who she didn't recognize. The cat saw her coming and ran towards to too. They both attacked but thanks to the other cats' larger size, Icefur was pushed back, giving the Thunderclan warrior the first strike.

The she-cat pinned Icefur to the ground but was quickly pushed off. Icefur got up and tackled the she-cat. She clawed the cats' side but the she-cat bit her leg after. Icefur yowled in pain and shook some snow off of her head.

She charged back at the attacker and tackled her again. They rolled down a small hill while attacking each other.

Icefur was clawed on the stomach when they got to the base of the hill. The white she-cat tried to endure the pain and ignore it for the sake of the battle. She chased the she-cat off when she clawed her face.

Icefur sighed in relief when she left but was still in pain. She looked around at the cats fighting around her. Time moved so fast in the heat of battle.

She waited for the wound on her stomach to stop bleeding before moving on. She thanked Starclan the claw mark wasn't deep.

Icefur saw Bramblestripe was fighting off two cats at once, not far from her. She ran to her friends' aid and pushed one of the Thunderclan cats away from Bramblestripe so the cat would fight her instead. When the cat she tackled got back on his feet, Icefur sprang forward and pinned him to the ground.

But she froze right before clawing him to see the cat who pinned down was her friend Redshade. His expression of anger disappeared when he recognized who she was.

"Redshade?" She asked, somewhat surprised to see him for whatever reason. She loosed her grip, about to let him go and find someone else she didn't know to fight, but paused when she saw Stormtooth was watching.

"Icepaw?" Redshade muttered, wondering why she didn't let him go yet. Icefur didn't bother to tell him her new name, knowing it wasn't the time.

Stormtooth walked over. He was covered in many small scratches but was a strong as ever.

"What are you waiting for?" He demanded "Are you going to sit there like rock or are you going to attack?"

Icefur hesitated. "I- um…" She didn't want to hurt her friend but she didn't want Stormtooth to see her let him go. Then she remembered about the rivalry with Stormtooth and Hawkstar. He must have known he couldn't do much to Hawkstar since he has nine lives, so he wants to take it out on his apprentice instead. Icefur knew that must have been why he wanted her to attack Redshade so much.

Redshade began struggling under her, trying to escape but Icefur was planted to the ground, trapping her friend without thinking about it. She was too confused to think. She looked at Redshade. He was panicking. Then she looked at Stormtooth, He was mad.

"If you don't attack," Stormtooth growled. "Then I will!"

Icefur now realized how dangerous it was to have friends in other clans. This is what happens.

Stormtooth had enough waiting. He began walking closer with his claws unsheathed.

Icefurs' mind was buzzing. She quickly decided what to do but didn't take long to think it through.

Icefur quickly swiped her claw against Redshades' throat right in front of Stormtooth. Redshades' eyes widened and it seemed like the fighting around them suddenly froze in the frosty air. He coughed a few times before becoming still.

Her paw was covered in her friends' blood and her face was struck with horror.

Stormtooth said no more and walked away, unaffected by what just happened.

Icefur looked around and saw no one was watching her anymore. She stepped off of Redshade and leaned in close to him.

He opened his eyes slightly when he noticed she was right next to him. "Thanks," he whispered.

Icefur smiled and left before anyone would notice them talking.

Though she had little time to think of the idea, she attacked her friend on the neck so it looked like she killed him for Stormtooth. But in reality, she only barley broke through the skin. And he understood what she was doing when he noticed he wasn't dead. Redshade played along perfectly.

As Icefur scanned the area in search of a clanmate who may need help, she smiled to herself, thinking her plan was quite clever. The pure white warrior was very glad Stormtooth didn't see through their trick.

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"You won't get away with this," Ashstar hissed to the Thunderclan leader when they met in battle.

Hawkstar just smirked and clawed at Ashstars' side. He dodged the attack and tackled the leader. Ashstar was pushed off. As he recovered from landing on his back, Hawkstar ran up to him and clawed his stomach, fiercely. Ashstar rolled over so he couldn't do it again, and then clawed Hawkstar across the face. Hawkstar flinched and Ashstar clawed him again, cutting through his ear.

Hawkstar hissed, knowing his left ear was now scarred.

The Thunderclan leader launched himself at Ashstar and bit his front leg. Ashstar growled and clawed his back.

They backed up from each other again, both trying to quickly recovering.

Ashstar was briefly distracted when he heard a loud yowl from behind him. When he turned back to Hawkstar, he saw the leader run towards him and pin him to the ground. Ashstar, being stronger then Hawkstar, rolled him over and pinned him to the ground in turn.

Hawkstar shove him off before he was injured and ran towards Ashstar again.

Ashstar didn't get a second to blink before he growled in pain as Hawkstar clawed his neck, violently. He fell to the ground and blacked out.

The grey leader jumped up the moment he came to. He was no longer in the battle, but in some unknown area, surrounded by trees. He knew he lost a life to Hawkstar.

"Hello," he called in the forest. "I need to get back to my clan!"

A tall she-cat walked out of the mist to greet Ashstar.

"Mistyfall," he whispered when he saw the cat approach him. Mistyfall was Ashstars' mate but she died not long after he was made leader.

"Hello my love," she said when she walked forward. "You have lost another life in battle."

"I know… I'm so glad to see you again," Ashstar said." But I must get back to my clan as soon as possible."

The light grey and blue she-cat nodded, understanding why he wanted to return to badly. "Then I will send you back."

Ashstar began fading away from the forest. Before he left, Mistyfall moved up to him and lovingly licked his ear. "Good luck."

The painless serenity of Starclan disappeared when Ashstar woke up in the snow-covered moor, surrounded by battling cats.

He stood up and saw his deputy, Gravelstone was currently fighting Hawkstar. The Thunderclan leader was out to kill…

Ashstar growled and ran up behind Hawkstar while he was occupied and he raked his claw down his back. Hawkstar yowled in pain and turned around to Ashstar. About to attack again, Gravelstone clawed his side.

Gravelstone moved to Ashstars' side and they both moved in the Hawkstar, ready to attack at any moment.

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Icefur noticed the Thunderclan cats were beginning to get pushed back, but the battle wasn't over yet.

She spotted Rowanpelt and Cloudheart were fighting two other cats. She thought about helping them but it seemed like they could handle themselves. She also saw Breezetail in the group of cats. She couldn't tell if he needed help or not, but decided to run in the ground anyway.

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"Keep fighting, we'll drive them out eventually."

Cloudheart fought the intruders alongside Rowanpelt. The two cats they were fighting were Thistlescar and Sparrowfall; two very dangerous Thunderclan cats. Cloudheart was nervous about fighting them but Rowanpelt reassured her, making her feel better. She always felt safe around him. He already saved her life in the past.

The scared Thunderclan deputy slashed at Cloudheart but she was able to jump out of the way just in time. She saw his claw swipe just past her eyes, so close to making contact.

Rowanpelt was always a great fighter. Sparrowfall was giving him trouble, but Cloudheart had no doubt he will be able to win the fight.

The ferocious Thistlescar jumped forward and hooked his claws into Cloudhearts' shoulders. She cried in pain, unable to defend herself. She felt paralyzed.

Rowanpelt thankfully noticed. He shoved Sparrowfall away for a moment and pushed Thistlescar away from Cloudheart. Thistlescar growled and directed his attention on Rowanpelt.

Cloudheart bared her teeth in pain. Her shoulders where bleeding. She knew the Thunderclan warriors were not holding back at all. She had to be very careful in this battle.

She gathered enough strength to counter Sparrowfalls' attack just in time. By how things were going, she knew she and Rowanpelt will be able to fight there horrible warriors away.

But that's when things turned.

Cloudheart looked past Sparrowfall and saw Nightpaw. What was the medicine cat apprentice doing in the middle of the battle?

She saw him walk up to a knocked out Windclan cat. She couldn't tell who it was because the cat was covered in their own blood. Nightpaw and a bundle of cob webs in his jaw and Cloudheart realized he was trying to save the cat's life.

But before he finished treating the cat, three Thunderclan warriors ran up to him and surrounded the apprentice. Nightpaw seemed too trapped in fear to attack back and he wouldn't be able to fight them all off anyway.

Cloudheart gasped. She knew they were going to try to kill him at this rate.

The warrior gathered up even more strength and pushed Sparrowfall back. He was caught off guard by this and Cloudheart ran past him and ran into the warriors who surrounded Nightpaw.

She tried her best to fight them off but was quickly overpower. Rowanpelt ran to her rescue and helped her with the three Thunderclan cats, but his help wasn't enough.

While Cloudheart was focused on one cat, she found herself being clawed from behind or bit on a leg, her back or tail. She was constantly being attacked.

Everything was moving so fast, she could hardly make sense of what was happening.

But everything around her soon froze when she noticed a Thunderclan cat clawed her on her neck. She wound was deep and she fell to the ground. The three cats suddenly left her. She guessed they were retreating now but Cloudheart was unable to hear the call.

She fell on her side in the icy cold snow. Her eyes were open wide, knowing what was going to happen next.

Rowanpelt ran up to her.

"Cloudheart?" He asked, hoping she was okay.

"Cloudheart!" he said again louder when she didn't reply.

Cloudheart looked up at Rowanpelt. She coughed a few times before her sight became very hazy. She was so afraid of what was happening. The look on her friends face made her heart ache. She hoped to never see such an expression.

Her ears failed and she wasn't able to hear what anyone was saying anymore. She looked up at Rowanpelt. His eyes were filled with worry and dread and he was saying something but Cloudheart didn't understand. She got one more look at the tom before everything went to black.

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"Cloudheart, no!"

Rowanpelt collapsed to the ground. Thunderclan retreated but Windclan still lost. He bowed his head, holding in the tears. "No…"

Cloudheart was dead.

"Cloudheart…"

Rowanpelt was never one to show much emotion over certain things, but this was different. Ever since Cloudheart walked into camp, he always thought she was the most beautiful cat he has ever seen. And he never got a chance to tell her that. She will never get to know how much he liked her. How much he loved her. Rowanpelt sat in silence with his eyes shut tight and his claws digging into the ground in pain of losing his friend.

Scratched up Windclan cats noticed what was happening and began to gather. At first, they all seemed glad the fight way over but that was before they knew what they lost.

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Icefur was injured but she was still standing. Now that the Thunderclan cats left, she decided to look for her friends. She spotted Breezetail and was about to run over to him, but then Icefur noticed the large group of cats in one area. This sent a shiver down her back. Groups like that only gather when someone dies.

Icefur ran to the group of cats and cut through the ground until she got to the inside. When she saw the cat who sat limply on the sheet of snow, she froze for a brief moment when ran up to her and Rowanpelt. Her heart was pounding so fast, she thought it was going to burst.

"Cloudheart," she muttered. "No, no, no, you can't die!"

"I'm so sorry," Rowanpelt said to Icefur. He avoided her gaze. "I tried to save her." He sounded chocked up, almost unable to speak.

"H-how did this happen?" Icefur forced the words out. Her legs were shaking and her voice quivered.

"She attacked three warriors at once to save Nightpaw."

Icefur fell to the ground in tears. He couldn't stop herself from crying into the cold snow beneath her. Her sister was gone.

The cat who stood by her side through thick and thin. The one who stayed strong when their parents died. Who guided her to Windclan territory. Who always seem to know what to do and say. Who risked her life for her friend. This amazing cat she called her sister was gone…

Icefur felt completely oblivious to everyone around her. All that mattered to her at that moment what Cloudheart. The air, the grass and even her own body suddenly seemed cold. "Cloudheart," she whispered too quietly for anyone else could hear her. "Please... Not now. Not when things were getting better for us... I don't know what to do without you!" In the back of her mind, the warrior knew she was making a scene and as the only one talking but she didn't care in the slightest. Rowanpelt came up to her. He didn't say anything. Icefur could just tell by the way his pelt felt against hers that he was devastated as well.

All the Windclan cats stood in silence, mourning the loss of Cloudheart. The only sound in the moor was the cool breeze blowing through the fields.

The silence was interrupted when a voice spoke up. "Where is Nightpaw?"

Icefur didn't budge but most of the cats began searching the group for the medicine cat apprentice.

Ashstar ran through the group until he reached the middle so every cat could hear him.

"Nightpaw has been captured by Thunderclan!"

Gasps of disbelieve and shock rose in the cluster of cats.

"Someone has to go rescue him. We need to show Thunderclan they can't push us around like this," Ashstar said. "I will send two cats to go… Flowerfrost and-"

"I will go." Icefur stood up with pure determination on her face. Tears were still swelling in her eyes but that didn't block out her motivation. "My sister gave her life to saving Nighpaws'. I must go to save him so Cloudhearts' sacrifice won't be in vain."

Ashstar nodded. "I understand. You two will go tomorrow."

"No, we need to go now!" Icefur yelled with a burning rage towards Thunderclan.

"You need your rest. You can go as soon as you wake up tomorrow," Ashstar replied sternly.

Icefur didn't reply. She knew arguing wouldn't help and didn't trust herself not to erupt again. But whatever happened, Icefur would not let Cloudheart down.

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The Windclan cats went back to camp together. The warriors took Cloudhearts' body back to camp. Many of them sat a vigil for her for the rest of the night, including Rowanpelt. Ashstar wouldn't allow her to because she needed to get some sleep, but she will get some time with her sister alone when she returns after rescuing Nightpaw.

Icefur already promised herself; Thunderclan will pay for this. They will pay for attacking Windclan, taking Nightpaw and killing Cloudheart. Icefur will make them regret ever stepping foot on Windclan land.

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**A/N: Alright, don't hate me for this but I had this planned since the beginning. We will mourn her… But don't worry! Cloudheart is still a major character. This is not the last you have seen of her. **

**Please review and have a nice day~**


	20. Enemy Territory

_Chapter 17_

About two moons have passed since Hawkstar became leader of Thunderclan. Neither Icepaw nor Cloudpaw went to either gathering though, so they learned this much after it was announced at the first.

The news of the newly named Hawkstar made Stormtooth furious because of the long-term rivalry going on between the two cats.

Ashstar wasn't too thrilled about this either. He never liked Lightstar that much, but Hawkstar was even worse.

Icepaw and Cloudpaw were glad to hear about Redpaw becoming a warrior. They both thought that Redshade is a great name. This only made them more excited to get their names.

Over two moons have passed since something happened between Windclan and any other clan. But since Ashstar is against Wolfstar and Hawkstar, he has no doubt that something will happen soon. It's easy to see Ashstar was beginning to worry. The border patrols slowly become larger and larger. Soon, he may think about attacking one of them first.

At the second gathering they missed, Riverclan accused Shadowclan cats of walking on their territory. The same thing that happened to Windclan moons ago. Other than that, the only news was about new warriors, apprentices or kits or deaths in the clans.

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"Maybe I should go to the Moonstone and ask them."

"Perhaps but let's just wait a while longer before doing that."

Ashstar and Heatherwish began discussing the prophecy they heard a few moons ago once again; Trust will die and death will revive. Only then will darkness befall the path of ice. The two of them were in the medicine den.

"If we don't go now, then what do we do?" Ashstar asked the medicine cat.

"Let's just start… Throwing out ideas of what it could mean," she suggested.

"Alright…" Ashstar took a moment to think. "Maybe this is about a certain cat and someone he or she trusts will die… Then be revived… And this will cause the 'darkness befall the path of ice' part."

"Maybe but we still need an idea for what that part means."

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Icepaw was walking through camp when she noticed a border patrol was about to leave camp. She ran up to them and saw Runningshade was leading it. The other cats in the patrol were Flowerfrost, Dustfoot, Blackspot, Moonheart and Breezepaw.

"Hi Runningshade. Can I go with you on the patrol?"

The she-cat hesitated for a moment. "Uh the patrol is a little full… You'll have to ask Ashstar." Icepaw ran off without saying another word while Runningshade mentally slapped herself. It would be much simpler to just say no.

Icepaw looked around the Tallrock were he usually hangs out but couldn't find Ashstar anywhere. She turned and then saw him in the medicine cat den.

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"The path of Ice," Ashstar said to himself once more, hoping some idea will just appear if he said it enough times. "Path of ice, path of ice, path of ice."

"I don't think that's going to work… You're just stressing yourself. We should just stop talking about this for now," Heatherwish said.

"But we need to get an idea as to what this means."

"Hi!"

Ashstar and Heatherwish turned to Icepaw when she jumped in the den.

"Ashstar I need to ask you something," she said, feeing weird about interrupting.

"Not now Icepaw," he said warily.

"But I want to go on Runningshades' patrol," she complained.

"Fine, fine. I don't know why you're asking me, but just go." In other cases, Icepaw would be offended when someone told her to leave them alone. But even she knew how worked up Ashstar was getting.

"Thank you," she said and ran out of the den.

"Oh Icepaw," he muttered. "Wait… Icepaw!"

"What?" Heatherwish asked, confused by Ashstar at the moment.

"It's Icepaw! The path of Ice. Icepaw for sure. In fact, I didn't get the prophecy the night I took her and Cloudpaw to the Moonstone. It has to be her. It makes perfect sense. Now I ca-"

"Calm down" Heatherwish instructed. "We can't know that for sure. This having anything to do with Icepaw is just as possible as any other idea we came up with. You were awake all night last night. It's time you got some sleep."

Ashstar sighed. "You're right. I've been overworking myself. Thank you, Heatherwish," he said, realizing he needs to relax. And with that, Ashstar walked out of the den and headed for his nest.

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"He's letting me go," Icepaw told Runningshade when she got back to the patrol.

"Alright let's go," Runningshade sighed and the patrol walked out of camp. It's not like she didn't want Icepaw to come along, but Runningshade has been getting tired of these extra big patrols lately.

Icepaw walked up to Breezepaw.

"Hello," she started.

"Hi."

"It's great to see you training again," she said nicely.

"Yeah I know," Breezepaw replied. "I was stuck in the medicine cat den for so long. I'm glad to be out."

"It was probably tough in there, right?"

"Yeah, well it definitely wasn't easy," he laughed and Icepaw joined him.

"So we're going to patrol the Riverclan border?" Icepaw asked, just now noticing where they were going.

"Yep, this is probably why Runningshade isn't happy about the huge patrol. Everyone knows the other clans need more patrolling then Riverclan does."

"Well that makes sense… At least we probably won't run into any attackers while we're here," Icepaw joked.

"Don't underestimate them," Moonheart said, joining there conversation. She was walking right next to Breezepaw, so it wasn't hard for her to listen in. "Though Riverclan acts like friends right now, we must always be on our guard."

Icepaw and Breezepaw both nodded in agreement, understanding why she said that.

When the patrol arrived at the river, all seemed calm. They all looked down the gorge at the rushing water below them. A mist sprayed up at them from the water violently hitting the edges of the cliff before continuing down its path.

"Let's keep moving," Runningshade said to the large patrol.

The cats all walked down next to the river. Icepaw could see the giant trees in the distance, surrounded by many smaller trees; Fourtrees.

Everyone was looking forward except for Icepaw who had her eyes locked on the river. She didn't know why, but it was just something she could stare at for a long time, though dreaded to get into.

She just happened to look up at the Riverclan side of the river and saw something that made her freeze in place. She saw a very small kit dangling just above the river from the Riverclan side.

"Kit!" Icepaw yelled, grabbing the attention of her clanmates. Then all turned and saw the kit as well.

Blackspot and Moonheart jumped to the other side of the river and tried to save the kit from falling.

"Go find a Riverclan patrol and tell them what's happening here," Runningshade said to Icepaw and Breezepaw after she jumped over the river to help. Dustfoot and Flowerfrost were still on the Windclan side.

Icepaw scanned the area quickly and found the spot along the river can is closest to the other side. She jumped across the river with Breezepaw behind her. They looked back at the warriors when they landed and saw the kit fell from the edge. The kit was too far down to grab easily. Though the apprentices wanted to stay and help, then ran forward through Riverclan territory.

"I don't see any patrols," Breezepaw said as they ran through the field. The field had many bushes in the area, much more than Windclan had and the air just smelled wet.

After running for a while, unable to find a patrol, they saw the Riverclan camp up ahead and a group of cats just walking away from it, towards them. They spotted the two apprentices and ran forward.

Icepaw didn't recognize any of the cats she saw though. All of them were warriors and none looked happy to see them.

"What are you two doing here," one tom snapped.

Another cat opened her mouth to speak but Icepaw spoke quicker.

"No time to talk," he urged. "Our patrol found a Riverclan kit dangling above the river!"

The warriors' expressions jumped into shock and they all ran towards the river.

Icepaw didn't know how it happened, but when she got back, she saw Dustfoot hooked himself to the side of the gorge, right above the water while holding the kit by the scruff in his jaw. The other warriors were trying the pull him out.

Once the Riverclan cats got to the scene, they helped the Windclan cats pull Dustfoot and the kit back up onto dry land. Both Dustfoot and the kit were wet and safe.

"What were you doing out here, Streamkit?" A warrior asked.

"I wanted to see the river," the small kit said in defense. "I heard it was calm today… I'm sorry, Minnowshine."

"Alright then."

Minnowshine walked away with the kit while the others turned to the Windclan cats.

"Thank you," one she-cat said to them, mostly to Dustfoot since he grabbed the kit.

"We're happy to help," Runningshade replied and the Windclan cats jumped back onto their land. Right after, the Rivarclan cats walked away and headed back to their camp.

"Good work everyone," Runningshade said when she turned to the patrol. "Let's finish this up then head back to camp."

As the patrol continued patrolling Icepaw and Breezepaw started talking.

"It was so cool to get a look inside Riverclan territory," Breezepaw mentioned.

"Yeah it was," Icepaw agreed. She was reminded of how she felt when she first came to Windclan.

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During the rest of the patrol, nothing else really happened. The cats soon returned to camp and Runningshade went straight to Ashstar to report what happened. The other warriors all scatted to either get something to eat, to their dens or somewhere else.

Icepaw and Breezepaw went to the fresh-kill pile and both took something to eat. They sat down near the apprentice area and ate.

"Well today was exciting," Icepaw said to her friend.

"Yeah," Breezepaw replied after taking a bite out of a bird. "I wonder what else will happen today."

"I doubt anything will happen. The clans have been pretty calm lately.

"They're probably scheming to attack us," Breezepaw muttered.

"Oh don't be so paranoid. They have no reason to do that."

"Are you kidding? The clans hate us."

Icepaw laughed and finished off the rabbit.

After they finished eating, Icepaw noticed Bramblepaw and Cloudpaw walk into camp. She called them over and they sat down to join them.

"Hey Icepaw, Breezepaw. How did the patrol go?" Cloudpaw asked.

"Great," Breezepaw exclaimed. "We rescued a Riverclan kit at the gorge."

"Wow that's great!"

Cloudpaw and Bramblepaw left to get some fresh-kill and returned to the other apprentices. No one spoke as they ate until Bramblepaw suddenly looked panicked and she dug her claws into the ground.

"Ahhh!" She randomly yelled, surprising the others.

"What is it?" Breezepaw asked, concerned.

"I'm so stupid!" She yelled again.

"We know that," he replied with a smile. "But why are you freaking out?"

"I buried prey in two different places while I was hunting and I only dug up prey in one place before coming back here," she said, looking very embarrassed.

"No problem," Cloudpaw said, calming her down. "Let's just go get it then."

"You guys would go with me?"

"Sure, come on."

The four apprentices left camp to find Bramblepaws' missing prey. They followed her to the area where she went hunting; at the Lookout Rock.

"I can't remember exactly where I buried it, but it's somewhere around here," Bramblepaw told them as the apprentices searched around the rock.

Icepaw jumped onto the Lookout Rock. She was amazed by the sight. She was able to see the entire moor from there. It seemed like a nice place to relax. Icepaw was also able to Fourtrees from where she stood.

"Icepaw, come help search," Cloudpaw said, interrupting Icepaw from her thoughts.

She jumped down and continued searching.

"Found it," Breezepaw called, standing farther away from the rock than anyone else. He dug up the prey and held the two rabbits in his jaw.

"Thanks," Bramblepaw said, smiling.

"Hey," Cloudpaw muttered, now standing on the Lookout Rock. "Look at this."

The other three apprentices jumped on the rock with Cloudpaw to see what she was pointing at.

They saw something moving near the Shadowclan border. It was hardly visible through the trees and their shadows. The sun was also going down, which made it harder to see.

"Is that an intruder?" Icepaw asked the others.

"Could be," Bramblepaw replied. "Let's not wait to find out. We have to see Ashstar."

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When the apprentices returned to camp once again, they found Gravelstone by the warriors' area. They ran up to the deputy.

"Gravelstone," Icepaw called. "We saw something by the Shadowclan border on our territory. It looked like whatever it was, they were heading to camp."

"Cloud you be more clear as to what this 'something' is?" he asked, knowing this situation was serious.

"It was most likely a cat, but it was hard to tell."

Gravelstone nodded and walked past them, heading towards Ashstar, who was just walking out from behind the Tallrock. The apprentices followed.

"Ashstar, these apprentices saw someone walking on our land by the Shadowclan border."

"Shadowclan," the leader muttered. "How many?"

Gravelstone looked over to the apprentices.

"One, I think," Cloudpaw replied.

"Probably here to spy or steal prey… Something like that," the leader growled. "Warn the warriors. Get some to gather around the camp. Whatever this intruder wants, we'll make sure he doesn't get it."

"Right away." Gravelstone turned and rushed to the other warriors, telling them about what happened.

"We should tell Heatherwish and Nightpaw," Icepaw suggested to the other apprentices.

The four of them walking into the medicine cat den, but neither of them were there. They turned and walked back into the middle of camp, wondering where they could be. They stood there for a while, while thinking of where the medicine cats were.

"Maybe they're out hunting for herbs," Bramblepaw said.

"Maybe," Icepaw muttered. She looked in every direction for the two cats and noticed some warriors were leaving the center of camp and heading to the edge, all ready for the intruder. As she scanned the area, Icepaw noticed some movement in the medicine cat den. She couldn't see who the cat was very well because it was getting dark.

"Someone's in the medicine cat den," she said to the others and they ran inside.

But Bramblepaw and Breezepaw gasped when they saw the cat who was inside.

"Sparrowfall," the two growled at the tom.

"Who?" Cloudpaw asked, confused with Icepaw.

"He's a Thunderclan warrior!" Breezepaw growled.

The saw why the warrior was in the medicine cat den. The herbs were destroyed and he had a pile of some herbs in his jaw, planning to steal them. Probably herbs that weren't found in Thunderclan territory.  
Bramblepaw ran out of them den and into camp to get help.

"You're too late," the Thunderclan cat said before running out of a hole in the den.

"Follow him," Icepaw yelled and the apprentices ran out of the hole too.

Bramblepaw soon joined up with them and some warriors were running after them in the distance.

Icepaw saw Sparrowfall heading for Thunderclan land. This reminded her of when she chased a dog down the very same route.

She surprised herself when she ran faster than the other apprentices and soon took the lead.

Icepaw was also faster the Sparrowfall and was able to catch up quickly.

The border into Fourtrees was in sight when she tackled the light-furred warrior. They tumbled forward before stopping and Icepaw was slashed on her side by Sparrowfall. She flinched, taken off guard by the quick attack. The others soon joined her and they helped fight Sparrowfall.

He dropped the stolen herbs to fend off the Windclan apprentices, but he couldn't fight off all four of them. Sparrowfall saw extra warriors running towards them from their camp and he decided it was time to retreat.

Cloudpaw was thrown off his back after trying to stop him from running. Before anyone else could stop him again, Sparrowfall ran into the forest, out of Windclan territory.

The warriors soon joined the apprenticed.

"We're too late," Ashstar said when he and the others arrived.

Icepaw was surprised to see Ashstar for whatever reason, but decided it was unimportant.

"He left the herbs," Cloudpaw said when she picked them up.

"Good," Ashstar muttered. "He destroyed the rest of them… This is a bad sign."

"Why?" Icepaw asked.

The leader sighed and waited a moment before answering. "It could mean many things, actually. But whatever they are planning, no good can come from it."

Icepaw didn't know why, but she had a feeling Ashstar was lying when he said there could be more than one reason. She wondered if there was only one sensible reason and Ashstar just didn't want to tell her what he was thinking.

"Let's go back to camp."

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**A/N: I got a lot of anonymous reviews for the last chapter and that made me happy. ^_^**

**Also, I know my last few chapters have a lot of errors in them and that I change my writing from past and present a lot. It's just what I do.**

**Anyways, thanks for reading and please review! =D**


	21. Another Attempt

_Chapter 21_

"So how is he?" Hawkstar asked the Thunderclan medicine cat. Goldenfur had Nightpaw in her den. She was checking on his injuries.

"His forehead is bruised and he is covered in small scratches. Other than that, he's fine," she explained looking at the Windclan apprentice who sat in the corner of the den.

"Alright," Hawkstar muttered. "Get someone to take him back to the other den."

Hawkstar walked out and was heading for his den, but his deputy, Thistlescar walked up to him.

"Is he well enough for our plans?" The scarred warrior asked.

"Yes, Nightpaw is fine."

"The plan was first intended to work with the medicine cat, not the medicine cat apprentice. Will this change anything?" Thistlescar asked.

Hawkstar has been so occupied with the plan; he forgot to tell to his deputy his plan changes. The two toms walked into the leaders den to talk.

"Our original plan was to keep the medicine cat as a prisoner and only give her back to Windclan when they agree to whatever we ask of them. Every clan needs a fully trained medicine cat. Since we only have the apprentice, they may not act as quickly. So, I intend to persuade Windclan a little more," the Thunderclan leader said after he sat down in the den, facing Thistlescar.

"Persuade how?"

"The next gathering is soon. When it comes, I will tell them we will send Nightpaw back unharmed if they do what we want. But if they wait too long, we'll have no choice but to convert to violence on the apprentice. Windclan is weak; they care too much about the well-being of every single cat. They will be forced into doing what we want. From giving us free access into their territory to delivering us prey." Hawkstar smiled sinisterly at how well his plan was working out so far. Everything was going along so smoothly. Windclan will soon by in his claws.

"Brilliant," Thistlescar commented. "We must make sure Nightpaw is constantly guarded. Windclan will probably try something to rescue him."

Hawkstar nodded and Thistlescar walked out of the den and into the snow-covered clearing.

He gathered up a few warriors and brought them to the den Nightpaw was in. After telling them to stay and watch him, he left.

The den was now guarded by four warriors; Mudfoot, Greyshadow, Skypath and Tigerstripe. They surrounded the den by all sides so Nightpaw couldn't sneak out, and no one else can sneak in.

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Redshade stood at the edge of camp, searching for his sister, Willowleaf. She got her medicine cat name days before the attack on Windclan. He saw her walking by and called her over.

"What is it?" She asked when she joined him.

Redshade made sure no one was watching or close enough to hear them before turning to Willowleaf.

"I need you to do me a favor…"

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After Icefur and Flowerfrost returned to camp after their failed attempt to rescue Nightpaw, they turned to Ashstar and Heatherwish for help to make a new plan. The four of them discussed what to do for a while but they were all having trouble thinking of a good plan. Icefur and Flowerfrost were both tired from their little adventure and Heatherwish suggested they should get some rest until farther notice.

The sun was already going down by the time Icefur sat down with a rabbit.

She felt like she wanted to be left alone but was happy to see Breezetail, Bramblestripe and Rowanpelt walk up to her. They all sat down next to her.

"How are you doing?" Bramblestripe asked her friend.

Icefur sighed. "I'm fine, I guess." The white warrior took a bite out of the rabbit in front of her.

Breezetail glanced at his sister, unsure what to say. "Everything will go back to normal eventually," he muttered.

Icefur didn't reply. She knew her friends just wanted to see her happier like she used to be, but she just couldn't cheer herself up. For now, anyway; maybe after she rescued Nightpaw. Cloudheart would want her to.

Breezetail was about to say something more, but Gravelstone walked up to them. "Breezetail, Bramblestripe. There is a hunting party led by Leopardflower. Would you join them?"

They both looked over to Icefur who was just looking at her paws. "Sure, we'll go," Bramblestripe replied, not wanting to say no to the deputy.

Icefur and Rowanpelt sat in silence for a moment before he spoke up. "I know you really miss Cloudheart," he started.

"Of course I do," she said loudly. "She has always been there for me and the one time she's in trouble, I wasn't there to save her!"

"It's not your fault, Icefur. It's mine," Rowanpelt replied. "I was there. I should have done something to stop the Thunderclan cats from killing her. But I didn't."

Icefur looked at him. She knew he was right and she actually felt sorrier for him then she did herself.

"She knows you tried," Icefur said.

"I know," Rowanpelt sighed. "And she's still with us. Never forget that." Rowanpelt stood up and walked away.

Icefur was glad he talked to her. She felt better now, thanks to him.

She finished the rabbit and stood up, about to see how Ashstar and Heatherwish were doing with the plan, but she stopped when she saw Stonepaw was running up to her. "Icefur, I'm glad I found you," he said, out of breath.

"Why were you looking for me?"

"There is a cat at the border who wants to talk to you," Stonepaw told her urgently. "I told her I would come get you. She seemed nice enough..."

"A cat at the border?" Icefur muttered. She couldn't think of any she-cats from another clan who would want to talk to her. "Where is this cat now?"

"Waiting for you at the border with Fourtrees."

"Alright, thanks Stonepaw."

Icefur decided she would go meet up with this cat and see what she wants. This cat just wanted to talk, so no harm would be done.

The white she-cat ran out of camp and towards Fourtrees. It was somewhat difficult to run through the cold snow, but nothing she couldn't handle.

When Icefur got to the border, she didn't see anyone in the forest. "Hello?" she called. "I hear there is a cat who wants to talk to me."

She waited a moment, wondering if this was all a joke or something. But then a brown she-cat walked out of the forest shyly.

"Are you Icefur?" She asked. Icefur could tell this cat was from Thunderclan.

"Yes I am. What do you want?" She didn't plan on being very nice to this cat unless she gave a reason to. The cat noticed Icefur didn't trust her.

"Allow me to introduce myself; my name is Willowleaf. I'm a medicine cat in Thunderclan."

"Willowleaf?" Icefur repeated. "Like, Willowpaw... Are you Redshade's sister?"

"Yes I am. He asked to me to come here and find you."

Icefur remember back during the battle when she let him go after tacking him. She wondered if the reason for her coming here was so Redshade could thank her, but it seemed like a little much.

"Redshade and I don't like what Hawkstar is doing," the Thunderclan medicine cat explained. "We want to help you rescue Nightpaw."

"What?" Icefur asked, taken by surprise. "I can't let you do that. That's going against your leader. It's against the warrior code."

"That is why Redshade didn't come here himself. He asked me to come because I'm a medicine cat. Even Hawkstar can't go against a medicine cats' judgment."

Icefur mentally commended Willowleaf on her bravery. "Thank you but, are you sure you want to risk it?"

"I am positive," Willowleaf said boldly.

"Alright. So what did you have in mind?"

"Redshade and I already thought up a little plan," Willowleaf said.

"That's great, what is it?"

"At night when there are fewer warriors around, I would get through the guards who surround Nightpaws' den and tell them I need to check on his injuries."

"Injuries?" Icefur asked, worriedly.

"Oh yeah. He got some scratches trying to escape earlier today."

Willowleaf continued. "After bringing him into the medicine cat den, I tell him to escape through the back and where to go. Redshade will be one of the guards and will keep the others occupied so they don't hear or notice anything. Then Nightpaw will sneak out through the back of the den and meet up with one of your warriors somewhere and then go back to Windclan."

"Where will we meet him?"

"The Owl Tree: it's between camp and Fourtrees. It's a big tree where owls live; you can't miss it."

"And if something goes wrong?" Icefur asked, knowing it was a possibility.

"Depending on what happens, we'll just act in the moment," Willowleaf said and smiled.

Icefur smiled back. She would say the same thing.

"Alright, I'll go tell the others. Thank you so much for your help."

"Anything to restore peace," Willowleaf said.

"What if one of you get caught? Hawkstar isn't the most forgiving leader..."

"It'll be alright," the medicine cat assured. "Don't worry about us. If we're going to do this tonight, you better hurry back to your camp. The sun is almost down."

"Tell Redshade I say thanks," Icefur said, about to run off.

"I will." Willowleaf disappeared into the forest and Icefur spun around and ran back to camp.

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When Icefur got back to camp, the first thing she did was gather Flowerfrost, Ashstar and Heatherwish together to tell them the new plan. She didn't mention any names, but she did say a Thunderclan cat wanted to help them. Ashstar wasn't too sure if they should go along with the idea, thinking it may be a trap. But Icefur told him they could trust them. They had to.

Ashstar told Icefur and Flowerfrost the go to the Owl Tree and bring Snowpelt with them, just in case they need back up. He chose those three warriors because they would best blend in with the snow. Everything was set. Now all they had to do was wait for it to get dark.

While Icefur waited for the moon to rise, she decided to rest until it was time to leave. She was having quite a full day and it wasn't even over yet.

Her friends also came by to wish her luck and other encouraging things. Icefur appreciated it but she didn't get much time to enjoy it before Snowpelt walked over, telling her they had to leave.

When Icefur, Snowpelt and Flowerfrost all got together, then headed to the border of Fourtrees to cross into Thunderclan territory. Flowerfrost led them this time. She was the most experienced out of the three and has actually been through Thunderclan territory in the past. They could only wait Nightpaw will be able to escape.

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Redshade sat in front of the small den used for Nightpaw with three other warriors, Swiftpelt, Brackenpath and Flowermist. Most of the cats were sleeping right now. He would be dozing off too if it wasn't so cold.

Redshade knew Willowleaf would walk over to get Nightpaw any moment and he believed this was the right thing to do, but going against the leader, his mentor and friend made him feel sick.

He forced himself to push these thoughts aside when he saw his sister walking over from the medicine cat den.

She stopped when she approached the four warriors.

"What do you need?" Redshade asked.

"Goldenfur wants me to check on Nightpaws' injuries again," she said calmly.

"Hold on," Swiftpelt interrupted. "We're not supposed to let anyone in or out except for Hawkstar.

"If I remember correctly," Willowleaf said to the she-cat. "Hawkstar said Nightpaw was not to get any more hurt while he's here. If his paw gets infected, he'll have you to blame."

Swiftpelt was taken back by this and didn't want to risk it, now that Willowleaf mentioned the possibility.

"Uh, alright but be quick."

Willowleaf walked past them and into the den. Nightpaw was huddled up in a corner. She gently woke him up. When the Windclan cat looked at her, she could easily see the worry in his eyes.

"Come to the medicine den with me," she said plainly, not giving anything away. He reluctantly got up and followed her outside the den and back in the medicine den. The four guards followed but stopped outside the den.

Redshade looked inside and saw Willowleaf glance at him.

Then he turned to the other warriors, ready to do his part of the plan.

"Hey, what's that?" he said and ran over to the center of camp. He turned to the three cats. "Come here and look at this."

Swiftpelt and Brackenpath walked over. Flowermist stayed, unsure if it was alright to leave the prisoner even though he was with Willowleaf.

"What are we looking at?" Brackenpath asked when he joined Redshade.

"I saw something move over here," he told them.

"Maybe you're just seeing things," Swiftpelt mentioned.

"No way, I know I saw something in the snow. Hey Flowermist, come help us search."

Flowermist sighed and walked over.

Willowshade waited until the guards were farther away before turning to Nightpaw again.

"Listen closely," she whispered. "I'm going to help you escape."

Nightpaw suddenly cheered up but didn't say anything.

"While the guards are busy, you're going to sneak out of this den and keep going in that direction. Don't stop until you reach the Owl Tree. It's a tall tree filled with large holes. Some Windclan warriors will be waiting for you."

Nightpaw wasn't entirely sure if he could trust what the cat was saying, but he had nothing to lose at the moment.

"Are you serious?" he asked but already felt she was. "Thank y-"

"You can thank me at the next gathering, you have to go now. Run as fast as you can."

Nightpaw nodded and ran through the hole in the back of the den. Right outside, he saw another hole in the thorn bush and slowly crawled through, not wanting to get poked again. Once he was across, he ran straight, making sure not to make any turns. Last time he escaped, one of the warriors who found him told him he was just running in circles.

Nightpaw ran through the snow, jumped over bushed, dodged trees and was on the lookout for the Owl Tree. The thought of going home excited him to no end.

Meanwhile, Willowleaf walked out of the medicine den and snuck past the four occupied guards. Redshade was having trouble keeping them there but Willowleaf didn't need much time.

She walked inside the prisoner den and pulled a large grey rock out of a wall nearby and moved it partly behind a small bush. With a simple glimpse, any half-sleeping cat would mistake it for a sleeping apprentice. They were going to notice eventually but it didn't matter as long as Nightpaw had enough time to find his friends.

Willowleaf then walked out and back inside the medicine cat den.

"Alright, this is pointless," Brackenpath said and walked back to the medicine cat den.

"Yeah, I was probably seeing things," Redshade agreed and they all followed Brackenpath.

"Where is he?" Brackenpath demanded after noticing Nightpaw wasn't in the den.

"I took him back to his den," Willowleaf lied.

"And you just left him? He's probably running away as we speak!"

"Oh calm down," Willowleaf said. "I gave him some poppy seeds. He won't have the energy to run."

The four guards ran back to the den where Nightpaw was said to be and looked inside.

"Yeah, there he is," Redshade said, knowing it was just a rock. He resisted the urge to silently call them mouse-brains. Even though they wouldn't know he thought it, it would still be disrespectful to his misguided clanmates.

The others didn't seem to notice the difference. They just turned around and continued to guard the empty den.

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Sparrowfall just returned from a moon-high hunting party and went straight to Hawkstar. The leader was asleep but what Sparrowfall had to say was important.

"Hawkstar, wake up," he said when he entered the den.

"Ugh, what is it?" Hawkstar growled when he woke up.

"I saw an apprentice running through the forest on my way back here. Did you happen to send any out?"

"No I didn't," Hawkstar said, sitting up.

"The cat was grey and looked pretty scared."

Hawkstar put the pieces together and didn't like the most possible answer. He ran out of the den and past the warriors who were guarding Nightpaws' den.

Hawkstar pulled the rock out of the bush it was hiding behind and growled.

"You mouse-brains!" He yelled at the four confused guards. "He got away," Hawkstar hissed at them. "Go after him!"

Swiftpelt, Flowermist, Brackenpath and Redshade all scampered out of the camp to chase down Nightpaw.

"He couldn't have gotten far," Brackenpath said to the others. "It's dark, cold, and he doesn't know where he's going. We'll find him."

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**A/N: Ohh, cliff hanger! Kind of. Maybe... Yeah.**

**Thanks for reading! I have been so happy with all the reviews and readers I have been getting. Thank you so much, guys!**

**Also, while Willowleaf was helping Nightpaw escape, the other medicine cat Goldenfur was not at camp that night, and had no idea about Willowleaf/Redshades' plan to help Windclan.**

**Have a nice day~**


	22. Recovery

_Chapter 22_

Nightpaw ran through the frosty forest, continuously looking behind him even when he told himself no one was following him. He was cold, alone and he thought his paws were going to freeze off. What where the chances of Thunderclan already discovering then he escaped again?

He often questioned if he was really going the right way but Nightpaw knew he couldn't risk turning. He soon began worrying if he was just going in circles again. Every tree looked exactly the same. Was it possible he could be turning without realizing it?

His worries disappeared when he saw a large, tall tree up ahead. When he reached it, he saw it was covered in holes and there wasn't a single leaf on the branches. The name of the tree told him owls lived inside.

He walked around it a few times, wondering where the Windclan cats were. He didn't see them and started wondering if this was all a trick somehow.

"Hello?" He called, hoping for a reply. "Anyone here?"

Nightpaw actually wasn't expecting a reply at first.

"Nightpaw!"

Nightpaw spun around and saw three cats jump down from another tree. It was Icefur, Flowerfrost and Snowpelt.

Nightpaw felt a wave of relief rush over him. "It's so great to see you three," he exclaimed, careful not to be too loud.

"We can catch up later," Flowerfrost said. "Now, we have to get out of here."

All the Windclan cats agreed. None of them liked running through the lifeless forest at night.

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The four cats weren't too far from Fourtrees by the time they found Nightpaw. They all followed Flowerfrost for the same reason as before; she knew where to go.

Icefur was very happy about finding Nightpaw and running back home, but she couldn't shake the feeling that something wasn't right. When she told this to Snowpelt, he said the forest was getting to her. She tried to make herself believe that.

Flowerfrost slowed down to a stop and the others did the same. "There's Fourtrees," she said.

Everyone followed her gaze onto the large trees in front of then.

"Great, now let's get out of here so we can all get some sleep already," Icefur said to the others.

They all began walking forward but then a patrol of cats jumped in their way. Icefur knew it was Thunderclan.

"Sneaking through our territory?" Swiftpelt asked.

"We were just on our way out," Flowerfrost replied calmly, knowing they wouldn't just let them pass.

"How did you find us so quickly?" Icefur asked them.

"You think your stupid rock trick could fool us?" Brackenpath replied confidently.

Icefur met Brackenpath before and he was never this mean. It was lack of sleep, the forest, or Hawkstar that was making him act this way.

"No one takes a Windclan cat as a prisoner and gets away with it," Icefur growled, ignoring the last rhetorical question.

"We'll see," he muttered. Icefur knew that he was going to attack now and got prepared.

And she was right. The Thunderclan cats all ran forward to attack. Icefur quickly look note of who was there; Brackenpath, Swiftpelt, Flowermist and Redshade. It was four on four. She guessed the only reason Redshade was going along with this was because he didn't have a choice. She briefly wondered if he was going to go easy on them.

Brackenpath ran up to her and struck in claw out, trying to rake her side, but she sidestepped, dodging his attack. Then she turned to him and tackled him to the ground. He used his hind legs to kick her off and she landed on her side next to a tree. Icefur quickly stood up again.

Flowerfrost was fighting Swiftpelt and Snowpelt was fighting Flowermist. Nightpaw was trying to dodge every attack Redshade threw at him. It was obvious he wasn't trying his best and Nightpaw noticed this too.

Icefur tried to dodge Brackenpath when he tackled her, but he was too fast and he bit down on her back. She growled in pain and threw him off. Ignoring the new pain in her back, she ran up to him while he was getting back on his paws and clawed his side.

She prepared herself for his next attack, but it never came. The other Thunderclan cats were all scratched up and Redshade called the retreat. The others followed and they left the Windclan cats.

"This isn't over," one of them said before leaving.

Icefur looked at her clanmates. Flowerfrost had more scratches than anyone else. Snowpelt had a few but he didn't look too bad. And Nightpaw didn't seem to have a single new scratch on him. Icefur silently thanked Redshade for that. "Let's get out of here."

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The next morning, everyone in Windclan was overjoyed to see Nightpaw was okay. When he got back the night before, he woke Heatherwish up and she checked his scratches, even though the Thunderclan medicine cats already took care of it. Then he talked with Ashstar. Ashstar woke up when they entered the camp and he didn't want to wait until morning to hear what happened while Nightpaw was away. He explained everything to the leader in the middle of the night, including Hawkstars' plan to blackmail Windclan at the gathering, which he overheard some Thunderclan cats talking about.

When Icefur woke up, the first this she did was go to the medicine den to check on Nightpaw. He was still sleeping when she found him. Heatherwish told her he may keep sleeping for a while and she should get back to sleep too. And she did.

The day continued as normal for all the Windclan cats except for the ones who were up all night. Ashstar made sure to send out extra patrols near Fourtrees just in case Thunderclan gets any ideas.

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Back in Thunderclan, Hawkstar was furious when he discovered his warriors let the Windclan cats get away.

He found the four warriors who went after them and asked them a few questions referring to what happened exactly. Someone had to take the blame. After a while of questions and answers, he left them and headed for the medicine cat den.

"Willowleaf," he started when he walked in. The two medicine cats were both inside.

"What do you need?" she asked calmly.

"You were the last one to see Nightpaw before he ran away. You are responsible for his escape," the leader growled.

"Wait a moment," Goldenfur said, jumping in the conversation. "You cannot blame Willowleaf for what happened."

"She didn't even think of getting the guards attention before taking him back to the den. It was Willowleafs' stupidity that coast us the apprentice!"

"He outsmarted all of us, Hawkstar," Willowleaf replied calmly. "It's over. No one needs to get blamed for this."

"You are wrong," the leader replied darkly. "This is not over and someone must always take the blame. If I show any mercy, the others won't take me as seriously. This is the only way to keep peace in the clan."

Willowleaf was surprised by this. Hawkstar wanted to keep the clan at bay with fear! She began to feel sick all of a sudden.

"You can't keep treating Windclan like they can't defend themselves. If you keep pushing them, they will attack you back," Willowleaf said, changing the topic back.

"This isn't just about Windclan anymore," he said, walking closer to her. "You are the reason the plan failed and I cannot forgive you so easily!"

Willowleaf began walking back, knowing what the leader was intending to do. She went against his orders and doing so was going to coast Willowleaf her life. She noticed Hawkstars' claws were unsheathed. Goldenfur just watched in horror from the side. She seemed too stunned to do anything.

Then Willowleaf saw her brother Redshade watched everything from outside the den. Seeing him gave her new strength.

She stopped backing up and faced Hawkstar bravely. "I am a medicine cat," she began. "For the clan and for you. You said so yourself: a clan is weak without its medicine cat. Thunderclan is the only clan with two fully trained medicine cats. If you get rid of me, you will ultimately make the clan weak." Willowleaf personally didn't believe in what she said, but she said it to stop Hawkstar.

Hawkstar paused after hearing this. He stared at Willowleaf and she stared back. "I suppose medicine cats can have the exception," he finally muttered before turning and walking out of the den.

Willowleaf sighed in relief with Goldenfur.

"I'm sure he's just stressed out," Goldenfur said but she didn't sound very convinced herself.

Redshade walked in the den after Hawkstar left. "What was that about?" he asked, still worried.

"I don't know," Willowleaf sighed. "I hope everything will just calm down soon."

"Yeah," Redshade agreed. "For the sake of the forest.

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When Icefur woke up for the second time that day, she didn't really feel like doing any hunting or patrols. She knew Gravelstone would understand, so she went to the fresh-kill pile to get something to eat.

It was nice to sit back in camp again. Though the event with Thunderclan started only a day ago, it seemed much longer than that. She wished she could just forget the whole thing happened, but she knew that was impossible. Icefur will never forget the pain Thunderclan put her through.

Icefur cheered up a bit when she saw Maplekit and Rockkit bounce up to her. After their mother, Hollytail died, life has been rough for them. They never got to spend much time with their father because he was always so busy with being deputy. Icefur liked to think the three of them have been through the same things. They all understood what it was life. The two kits were also almost six moons old.

"Hello Icefur," Rockkit started. "How are you doing?"

"A little better, now that I have someone to talk to," Icefur replied with a smile. The kits smiled back. "How are you to doing today?"

"We're alright," Maplekit replied. "I just wish we could get out apprentice names already. The nursery is so boring," she complained.

Icefur almost replied with 'I know how you feel,' but she didn't. Icefur had much more freedom as a kit at the barn. She and her sister were able to roam much farther then clan kits could. "The day will come before you know it."

The kits were about to reply, but they paused when they noticed it began to snow again. Unlike the night before, it was very soft and actually enjoyable.

The kits got occupied with the snow and began playing in the piles it left as Icefur watched. Kits were so amusing sometimes.

Icefurs' mind drifted away from the kits and she began wondering about the next gathering. She hasn't been to one in a while. She also wondered how tense the clans would make it. Hawkstar will probably show how mad he was about Nightpaw escaping.

Then she wondered how the other clans were doing. They seemed to inactive. Like they were just sitting back and watching the war between Windclan and Thunderclan. Everyone knew Riverclan and Shadowclan weren't friends. If something happened between them, at least the attention will be taken off of Windclan.

Icefur wasn't sure why, but she started thinking about Ashstar next. She wondered how he was taking everything. She could only imagine how stressful it was to be leader in times like this. Icefur wondered how he could handle all of this and not have a mental breakdown or something. But then again, the leader always has cats to help him like the deputy and medicine cat.

_I guess that just proves how great of a leader Ashstar is, _Icefur thought to herself. She always looked up to Ashstar since she joined Windclan. He was much calmer then Wolfstar and Hawkstar.

Icefurs' thoughts were interrupted when her friends Rowanpelt, Breezetail and Bramblestripe walked up to her.

"We were about to go hunting," Bramblestripe said. "Want to come with us?"

Icefur looked up at them and was about to say she would rather stay at camp and rest. But after giving herself some time to think, she decided it would be best to get out for a while. And hunting with her friends seemed like a great way to get her mind off of things.

"I'd love to go," she replied. Icefur stood up and followed them out of camp to hunt.

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**A/N: Not a super exciting ending, but hey.**

**From here, things kind of slow down a bit until I figure a few things out. Don't think I won't have anything interesting for you in the next chapters, because I will. Yep.**

**I want to thank oO-Issy-Oo for giving me the idea of almost killing off Willowleaf. xD Thank you!**

**Thanks for reading and please review. :)**

**Have a nice day~**


	23. Scheming

_Chapter 23_

Days have passed since Nightpaw was rescued from Thunderclan but not everything went back to normal. Icefur was constantly reminded of the loss of her sister, Cloudheart. It seemed impossible to get her out of her mind for very long.

Icefur was very glad when Ashstar announced she would be one of the cats to go to the gathering that night.

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While the chosen cats were getting some rest, Ashstar walked into Heatherwish's den.

"Hello Ashstar," the medicine cat said. "Shouldn't you be getting some rest?"

"I will but first, I want to talk about the prophecy," the leader said as he sat down I front of Heatherwish.

"Alright, what's on your mind?"

"I realized something that in hindsight was pretty obvious," Ashstar started. "The prophecy says 'Trust will die and death will revive. Only then will darkness befall the path of ice.' I already got the idea that this might be about Icefur."

Heatherwish cut in, "Oh yes, you mentioned that a while ago. I honestly don't see what she would have to do with this."

"Me neither. But it's possible. She's the only cat I know with ice in her name. Something is telling me this prophecy is about her," Ashstar explained to the medicine cat. "I hate to admit it, but the 'darkness will befall the path of ice' can't be good."

"What exactly are you saying?" Heatherwish asked suspiciously.

"I just think we should keep an eye on her. Watch for any changes in her behavior."

"Honestly Ashstar," Heatherwish remarked. "Do you actually think this darkness in the prophecy will affect Icefur?" She said with disbelief.

"I don't know. But it's the only idea we have."

"Fine, you do what you want," Heatherwish sighed. "But if you can't just randomly start watching her for any changes. She's going to notice."

"Of course not; I already have a plan."

Ashstar hated his idea but he didn't feel like he had a choice. Icefur has always been a good member of Windclan since she joined and there was no reason not to trust her. But apparently, it was his only lead at the moment. Personally, the Windclan leader doubted anything would happen to Icefur that involves the prophecy. He just hopes he's right and it doesn't involve her.

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When Icefur woke up, the sun was already going down. Thankfully, there were currently no clouds covering the moon for once. It hasn't snowed at all during the day but it was still very cold. The clan slept in the underground caves to keep warm. It helped but Icefur was still cold.

When she walked out of the cave and into the center of camp, the chosen cats were already gathering at the camps' entrance. Ashstar, Gravelstone, Heatherwish, Nightpaw, Stormtooth, Rowanpelt, Flowerfrost, Silverstone, Breezetail and Rainpaw were also going to the gathering.

When Icefur joined up with them, they all left camp together and headed for Fourtrees. Icefur was walking next to Breezetail but they didn't talk much. They were near the front of the group as they walked. When they arrived at Fourtrees, Icefur wanted to be near the front the get a better view for once. Every other time she went to a gathering, it was always hard to see what was happening from the back.

As Icefur walked, she noticed Silverstone not far from her. The silver and black she-cat mentored Cloudheart. She must have been devastated by the death as well. She not realized how many cats were so close the Cloudheart. _Everyone liked her and now she's gone, _Icefur thought to herself in the cold.

When Windclan arrived to the gathering, they were the last clan to appear for once. Riverclan, Shadowclan and Thunderclan already made themselves comfortable. When Windclan joined them, a few of the cats mingled with Riverclan and Shadowclan but they all stayed away from Thunderclan and Thunderclan did the same.

Icefur sighed when she noticed this. Will the rivalry ever stop or was it always like this?

Either way, she wasn't going to let it stop her from talking to her Thunderclan friend, Redshade. She just hoped he came.

"I have to find someone," Icefur said to Breezetail. "I'll be right back." Without waiting for an answer, Icefur disappeared into the crowed.

When she reached the area where most of the Thunderclan cats were sitting, she hesitated before sneaking inside to find her friend. She had no doubt she would get some nasty looks. But Icefur cheered up when she noticed Redshade in the crowed.

He noticed her two and left his clanemates to join her.

"Hey Icepaw," he welcomed. "I'm glad you're okay."

"Thanks. It's actually Icefur now. And thanks for helping with you-know-what," Icefur whispered so no one else would hear. She was referring to helping her rescue Nightpaw.

"I was happy to help. Just like you help me during the battle," Redshade mentioned. Icefur was reminded of when she pretended to kill him in front of Stormtooth so he wouldn't walk over and kill him himself.

Icefurs' smile dropped when he mentioned the battle. She started thinking about Cloudheart again. Redshade must have not known about her death. Redshade noticed she was suddenly upset, but didn't get a chance to ask why before the leaders started the gathering.

"Welcome cats' of all clans," the Riverclan leader, Featherstar, said. "I will start the gathering with Riverclan." She waited a moment for the crowd to quiet down before continuing. "Greencough is spreading through the camp already. Our medicine cat, Bluefoot, is trying his best to heal the sick cats and we will soon be freed of the virus. We also have a new medicine cat apprentice, Echopaw."

"Echopaw, Echopaw," the crowd of cats cheered when Featherstar paused.

"We also have one new warrior, Silverheart," the leader added.

"Silverheart, Silverheart!"

Heatherwish continued. "Aside from that, bare-leaf has been hard on us. Even with out supply of fish from the river, we just like all the clans, struggle to keep fed. But like last bare-leaf, we will make it through." When Featherstar was done, she stepped back and Hawkstar stepped up.

"Every hunting part comes back with little prey but in the end, it all adds up. Bare-leaf is always difficult but Thunderclan is surviving it just fine."

Icefur noticed Hawkstar sounded like he was trying to make Riverclan sound weak. It seemed like Featherstar noticed this two, for she had an annoyed scowl on her face.

"Thunderclan has two new warriors, Redshade and Tigerstripe. We also have a new medicine cat, Willowleaf."

Redshade, Tigerstripe, Willowleaf!" Windclan and Riverclan cheered much less than Thunderclan. Shadowclans' voice was pretty even.

"Sadly, this leaf-bare did in fact hurt us. Two kits, Brightkit and Stormkit died only days ago because of the bitter cold. There was one survivor in the litter, Dawnkit."

Mournful mummers were heard through the crowd and Hawkstar stepped back. Icefur noticed he failed the mention his brutal attack on Windclan and the kidnapping of Nightpaw.

Then Ashstar stepped up to speak next. "The past moon was very difficult for Windclan. But thankfully, we got four new warriors: Bramblestripe, Breezetail, Icefur and Cloudheart."

"Bramblestripe, Breezetail, Icefur, Cloudheart!" The cats cheered.

"Not too long ago, a Thunderclan cat snuck into our territory and destroyed all of our herbs," Ashstar said. A few gasped and surprise rose up. Icefur looked at Hawkstar but his face was unreadable. "We chased him out but not long after, a much larger amount of cats attacked us one night. If that wasn't the night we had four warriors out for a vigil, the damage could have been much worse. Sadly, during this raid, Cloudheart was killed and our medicine cat apprentice, Nightpaw, was kidnapped. When Nightpaw was rescued, he had few injuries.

This news was shocking to the other clans. When Icefur looked over to Redshade, he had a mixed expression of sorrow and shock. Obviously, he didn't know about Cloudhearts' death. He looked over to Icefur.

"I'm so sorry," he whispered but it didn't make Icefur feel any better about it. She knew it wasn't his fault and he truly was sorry but she knew for a fact the cat who ordered the attack wasn't sorry.

The Shadowclan leader stepped up. "Is that true?" Wolfstar asked Hawkstar.

"Yes, we did attack. But Ashstar is exaggerating. He's making it sound much worse than it actually way. And in our defense, it was about time someone but Windclan in their place!"

"I only said exactly what you did," Ashstar shot back. "Your attack was without warning and was completely unnecessary. If you think I'll forget about this any time soon, you are more mouse brained then you appear!"

This was probably the first time Icefur saw Ashstar so mad at anyone before. She curiously wondered how this would unfold.

"Perhaps you don't know how this works," Hawkstar growled. "When one clan angers another, the other clan does something to get back at them and that's the end of it. If you want to continue this, you will only start a war."

"We haven't done anything to Thunderclan that is worth attack us and killing a warrior!" Ashstar replied angrily.

While the two leaders continued arguing, Icefur tried to listen to what they were saying but the cats gathered below began to argue as well. It seemed every gathering she went to ended in arguing. She was glad to see Wolfstar speak up.

"Enough!" He yelled loudly. His voice seemed to echo through the forest and he instantly had the attention of all the cats. "You two can settle this dispute another day. I have something to announce."

The other leads were willing to stop their conversation. The forest was suddenly silent for Wolfstar. It seemed to Icefur that the topic of what Thunderclan did to Windclan dropped very quickly; too quickly for her taste.

"With the news we have all heard tonight, all clans are suffering in some way," the Shadowclan leader started. "But this leaf-bare has not been kind to Shadowclan either. Our main problem is prey; because the warriors must feed the kits and elders first, there isn't enough prey for them. Cats are beginning to die because of hunger and the deadly weather doesn't help. The warriors will soon become weak; too weak to feed the kits. For the sake of Shadowclan and the balance of the forest, I ask this to any clan who is willing to let Shadowclan hunt on their territory." Wolfstars' little speech was unexpected to Icefur. It seemed to her that he always wanted to make his clan sound stronger than the others but he wasn't doing a great job at that this time. She couldn't figure out why he would make a request like that.

It seemed like the leader didn't need any time to think about it before speaking. "We will allow you to do so." Hawkstar said this. "Shadowclan may hunt on Thunderclan land until the end of leaf-bare.

In the crowd of cats, the Shadowclan cats looked relieved. The Thunderclan cats were mainly confused and some looked angry. Riverclan and Windclan were basically the same.

Icefur looked up at Ashstar. It was hard to tell from a distance, but he looked annoyed.

"Thank you." Wolfstar said with a nod. "Shadowclans' struggles will not last long."

"I think this gathering is over," Ashstar said, trying to keep out a growl. And with that, the clans began to get ready to leave Fourtrees.

Before he left, Icefur looked at Redshade. His eyes showed he was confused.

"I'll see you later," he said only glancing at her before running off to join his clan. Icefur sighed and turned to do the same.

When Windclan left Fourtrees and was walking back to camp, Icefur immediately found Stormtooth. He looked upset over the thing with Shadowclan as well.

"Do you know why Hawkstar jumped to let Shadowclan in his territory to hunt?" She asked him. Stormtooth has known Hawkstar for a long time. If anyone would know his intentions, it would be him.

"I believe so," he replied as they walked through the snow. "Tension continues to build between the clans. Like Hawkstar said, it's possible a war might start. If it comes to that, Thunderclan needs an ally."

"What do you mean?"

"He knows Windclan and Riverclan are close and would fight with each other if a war breaks out. So he probably wants gain the trust of Shadowclan to make it even. That, or fears Windclan might attack Thunderclan for revenge. With more cats in the territory, it would be harder for anyone to attack them."

Icefur had to give him credit. She didn't think about any of those possibilities. Stormtooth must be smarter then she first thought to consider this.

"Does Ashstar think the same thing?" Icefur asked him.

"Most likely."

"When Hawkstar agreed to letting Shadowclan hunt in their territory, Ashstar looked pretty upset about it," she added.

"Then he must be thinking the same thing I am," Stormtooth replied plainly.

"Well you're smart. You should gather with him and Gravelstone and figure something out," Icefur suggested cheerfully. As she expected, her old mentor didn't react to the complement.

"Perhaps I will." After he replied, the conversation ended. Icefur slowed down and he walked past her. Breezetail then joined her.

"Are you doing okay?" he asked with a concerned voice with somewhat irritated Icefur. Ever since her sister died, everyone started acting different around her. Every time Cloudheart was mentioned, they would ask if she was okay or they would soon drop the conversation because she was there. Icefur appreciated the concern, but it was annoying.

"Yes I'm fine," she replied trying not to snap at him. "It's been a long night," she added with a sigh. "I just want to get some sleep and forget about all of this for a while."

"I think we all do."

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When Shadowclan returned to their camp, most of the warriors went straight to their dens. A senior warrior, Eagleflight walked up to the deputy before she went into the warriors' den.

"Frostheart, would you happen to know what Wolfstar was thinking?" he asked her angrily.

"Oh, calm yourself," she sighed, obviously tired. "Now what are you talking about?"

"Wolfstar practically went up there and called us weak. Sure, we are having trouble with prey. But we don't need Thunderclan to help us," he growled.

"You don't understand," Frostheart insisted. "Wolfstar was basically putting on an act."

Suddenly Eagleflight was confused. "What do you mean?"

"Wolfstar knows this as much as the other leaders; we are on the brink of war. I don't know how much he wants the warriors to know at the moment but-" Frostheart paused when Wolfstar walked up to the two cats.

"There is no reason to keep this from the clan," he began. "It's about time they know what we're planning."

"If we're going to tell them, we should wait for tomorrow," the deputy mentioned.

"Of course but since Eagleflight was the first to ask, I'll just tell him now," the leader said and turned to the warrior. "Like Frostheart said, the forest could erupt in battle at any time now. We needed an ally as much as Thunderclan does and our only choice was to ally with each other. We both knew that much. That is why I knew Hawkstar will let us hunt on their territory. They want to make us their ally. I made the clan sound weak because when the time comes, we will catch Windclan and Riverclan off guard."

"I'm not sure I quite understand yet," Eagleflight admitted.

"If we look weak and frail, when the time comes to fight, they will expect us to hardly put up a fight. They will be cocky and overconfident but in reality, we will be as strong as ever. Especially with Thunderclan as our ally."

"Oh I see now," the warrior muttered. "Brilliant, Wolfstar. They won't know what hit them!"

Wolfstar nodded. "I'll tell the others this tomorrow. For now, let's all get some rest."

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**A/N:** **Not much to add… Well, I hope everyone enjoyed this chapter.** **Thanks for reading and please review.**

**Have a nice day~**


	24. Helping Strangers

_Chapter 24_

About a moon has passed since the last gathering. The other clans have been surprisingly quiet which only kept the Windclan cats on edge.

Icefur didn't go to the next gathering but Bramblestripe told her all about it when she returned. Apparently, Shadowclan started hunting in Thunderclan territory since after the last gathering and have been doing so ever since. Thunderclan has been noticeable hostile lately. Many cats have tried to guess why but it's been impossible to know for sure. Bramblestripe also told Icefur that Riverclan has been complaining about unknown cats wondering the territory. News like that usually makes the whole forest worry at least a little but the clans seemed to have bigger things on their minds.

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Breezetail walked into camp just before sunhigh with a single rabbit in his jaw. He dropped it off at the fresh-kill pile and scanned the camp. The area had a thin sheet of snow covering the camp. There would have been more but it hasn't snowed in the forest for a few days. All the Windclan cats have been thankful for this. They don't have trees to protect them like the other clans.

Breezetail spotted who he was looking for and walked over to Rowanpelt. The ginger brown tom was already talking to Mudwhisker, which was understandable since Mudwhisker was his mentor.

"Hey," Breezetail started when he walked over to the toms.

"Oh hello," Rowanpelt said calmly like always. "How's it going?"

"Fine," Breezetail sighed. "I was wondering if you could help me with something… It's kind of important; to me, anyway."

Rowanpelt nodded, "Alright, what is it?"

Before Breezetail could reply, Mudwhisker spoke up. "Maybe I should leave… This is something between you two, right?" He asked and stood up.

"Actually, maybe you can help too," Breezetail said after he sat down.

Mudwhisker sat down again to listen.

"Uh, I know you and Cloudheart were kind of close and uh… I was wondering if you could help me get closer to Icefur." Breezetail felt very awkward as he spoke. He liked Icefur but had trouble talking about it. And it was also hard to bring up Cloudheart to Rowanpelt. It was clear to see he liked her.

Rowanpelt smiled. "I always knew you had something for Icefur."

"Really?" Breezetail asked, now somewhat panicked. "Do you think she knows that too?"

"I doubt it." It was Mudwhisker who spoke this time. "It seems to me that she has been very occupied with other things to notice what you're doing."

"What do you mean?" Breezetail asked the warrior.

"She has been through a lot lately: losing her sister and all." Mudwhisker glanced at Rowanpelt but he didn't notice. "I think she just thinks of you like a friend and nothing more right now."

"That's what I was thinking," Breezetail muttered, looking at his paws. Then he looked up at the two cats again. "What can I do to change that?"

"I think you should just get some time alone with her," Rowanpelt replied. "Get closer, you know? Let her know you're there for her." Mudwhisker nodded in agreement.

"Alright… So we could go hunting together… Or something…" Breezetail muttered.

"That could work," Mudwhisker said. "Try to make it a moonhigh hunting patrol." He said with a smile.

"Yeah, I'll do that- or at least something like that. Thanks guys."

"No problem," Rowanpelt said with his calm smile. He was always so laid back.

Breezetail noticed Icefur just walk into camp from a border patrol and he suddenly got nervous. "Wait, what if something goes wrong?"

"What could possible go wrong while hunting in the middle of the night?" Mudwhisker asked.

"I don't know." Breezetail replied. "What if she doesn't like me and I just make a fool of myself?"

"That's not going to happen, Breezetail. You'll be fine," Rowanpelt assured him. "In fact, you should plan to go hunting tonight with her right now."

Breezetail looked over to the two toms and they both thought it was a good idea.

"Just swallow your fears and give it a shot," Rowanpelt added.

"Yeah… You're right. I'll go do it right now." Breezetail stood up and walked over to Icefur.

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When Icefur returned from the border patrol, she was about to go to the fresh-kill pile until something she heard stopped her: A conversation between Ashstar and Brightfire.

"So tell me exactly what you saw," Ashstar said to the warrior.

"When I was hunting, I saw three cats on the Riverclan border near Fourtrees. They were by the river. I didn't recognize them at all. I think they were the cats Featherstar mentioned at the gathering a few days ago."

"What were they doing?"

"Just sitting there. It was hard to tell because of the distance, but I think they were just looking around our territory," the she-cat explained. "Do you think they're dangerous?"

"They could just be loners. If they were dangerous, they would have met some Riverclan cats and Featherstar would have mentioned that." Ashstar pondered this for a moment before continuing. "I will personally go there and have a look at it."

Brightfire nodded and walked away. Ashstar was about to move too but that's when Icefur ran up to him. Ashstar took one look at her and narrowed his eyes.

"Oh no," he sighed. "You're going to ask to come with me."

His reply surprised Icefur. "How did you know?" She asked the leader.

"I can see it in your eyes," he briefly smiled like it was a joke but Icefur doubted it.

"Please? You said they could just be loners. If that's true, I want to meet them," the white cat explained.

"I personally don't see why it matters." Ashstar looked at Icefur again. "But I suppose. There is no reason why you can't go."

"Yes! Thank you," she said excitedly.

"We'll leave at sunhigh," Ashstar said, looking at the sky. It would be sunhigh soon. Just enough time to tell the deputy what happened.

Ashstar walked away and Icefur turned around to see Breezetail walking up to her. He looked nervous for some reason.

"Hi Icefur," he started. "I wanted to-"

"Guess what!" She exclaimed, cutting him off.

"Uh, what?" Breezetail figured he could let her talk first and they ask her about hunting.

"I'm going to leave in just a moment to go search for loners," she said. Breezetail didn't know why, but she seemed quite excited about it. "Oh, want me to ask Ashstar if you can come too?"

"Yes," Breezetail said too quickly. "I mean… Sure, if you want." He said again, trying to make himself seem more relaxed. It's not hunting for prey in the moonlight but instead, hunting for cats in the middle of the day. Not much of a difference. At least he would be able to get her alone.

"Great, it'll be the three of us!' Icefur ran off after Ashstar, leaving Breezetail behind.

"Three?"

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When Ashstar, Icefur and Breezetail left camp, the white she-cat noticed Breezetail was hanging behind. He seemed disappointed about something. She wanted to ask him what was wrong, but she also wanted to focus. Icefur could just ask Breezetail about it later.

The three of them walked through the snowy moor until they got to the Riverclan border.

"So what are we looking for?" Breezetail asked when he caught up.

"Three cats. Brightfire apparently couldn't give much of a description but I'm sure they won't be far to find…" Ashstar said in reply.

Icefur opened her mouth to taste the air. She flinched at the strong taste of fish but there was also something else. "I can tell there were other cats here recently."

"How long ago was it since they were here?" Breezetail asked after deciding to give up on having a romantic conversation with Icefur at the moment.

"Not long," Ashstar replied, glancing around the area. "They couldn't have gotten far."

"No they didn't," Breezetail muttered.

"What do you mean?"

"I see they right there!" Breezetail gestured over to three cats running along the border with Shadowclan.

"After them," Ashstar commanded and the Windclan cats ran off after the intruders.

They were much faster than the cats as they dashed across the moor after them. One of the three cats noticed the warriors running after then and quickened their pace. But even with the extra boost, the Windclan cats were able to catch up with them along the Shadowclan border.

When the intruders knew they couldn't run, they all stopped and got into a position ready to fight. Ashstar, Icefur and Breezetail surrounded them. The intruders looked threatening but more than that, afraid.

"Calm down," Ashstar told them. "We aren't looking for a fight."

The oldest looking cat looked at Ashstar. "Then why did you chase us?" He asked the leader. The toms' fur was a dark orange with darker orange paws.

"We want to know why you decided to trespass on Windclan territory."

"We are just running through," a young she-cat said behind him. She had tan fur with a white belly. "Please let us pass."

Ashstar considered this for a moment but then walked over to Icefur. "What do you think of them?" He asked her.

Icefur was shocked he wanted her opinion but it was probably because she was once a loner herself. "I think they're just loners, not looking for any trouble."

Ashstar turned to the loners again. "Where are you going?"

"We're just looking for a new home," the third cat said. He was about the same age as the other young she-cat. They were probably kin. He looked just like the older tom.

"The clan territory isn't a good place," Ashstar pointed out.

"Yes, we figured that out for ourselves," the older tom said, now more relaxed than before. "Not long ago, we came to the barn not far from here but a cat kicked us out."

"What?" Icefur asked, confused by this. "I used to live in the barn as a kit. It's always welcome to loners."

"Apparently after you left, someone moved in and decided to change that," the tom muttered.

"That's awful…"

"Then we went into the forest but it wasn't any more inviting. I just need to find a safe place for my kits." The tom looked at the two cats behind him.

Breezetail finally spoke up. "What are your names anyway?"

"My name is Blaze. This is my daughter, Cream and my son, Light."

"Nice to meet you," Icefur said then turned to Ashstar. "Can we help them?"

"What? Why should we?" Ashstar asked her.

"Why not?"

Ashstar refused to go through this again. Icefur always seemed to get what she wanted by asking for it. But inside, he did want to help the loners. He knew just by looking at them that they have been through a lot. "I suppose," he said plainly and Icefur smiled and turned to Breezetail.

"Did you hear that? We get to help them. And who knows, it just might take all day!"

"Great," Breezetail forced a smile. He began to doubt the midnight hunting was going to happen.

"Really, you'll help us?" Blaze asked the Windclan cats with disbelief.

"Yes. We know how hard life can be. It's always better to have someone help at times."

"Thank you," Blaze said with a nod. "So where to now?"

Ashstar looked at Icefur. "Well Icefur? Where to now?"

Icefur wanted to laugh. Ashstar probably only said yes so quickly because he already planned to make her do all the work; clever.

"I know the perfect place."

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Ashstar, Breezetail, Blaze, Cream and Light all followed Icefur through Windclan territory. She knew everyone was wondered what she had in mind but she ignored every question about the topic. If Ashstar knew before they got there, he wouldn't approve.

They passed through the whole territory and headed west. They were heading in the same direction Icefur had to go to rescue Breezetail from rogues so long ago.

After leaving the territory, they didn't have to walk through the snow for long before arriving at the destination. To Ashstars' relief, the place wasn't close to the rogues' hideout at all.

It was a small, abandoned twoleg nest at the edge of the moor. It was right next to a forest and the river wasn't too far away.

"It might not be safe," Ashstar said when they got there. "The rogues could find them."

"If that happens, they can tell the rogues not to mess with them because these loners are friends of Windclan," Icefur said with a smile. Thought she was hoping no such event would ever actually occur.

"I don't know," Blaze said, looking at the nest. "How did you even find this place?"

"I just happen to spot it last time I went through here. I'm actually surprised no one lives here already," Icefur explained.

The nest was nothing compared to the barn or the much larger nest the rogues used but it was big enough for the small family of loners.

Breezetail stepped up. "Maybe there's a reason no one lives here…"

"Oh please," Icefur said. "It's a nice place. What down side could it possibly have?"

"No matter," Ashstar interrupted and turned to the loners. "We were glad to have helped but we must return to the clan now."

"Alright," Blaze replied. "If there is any way to repay you, please let us know."

"I'll keep that in mind. Goodbye now." Ashstar turned in the direction of camp and the two warriors followed him through the snow-covered field.

But as Icefur walked, the statement Breezetail said before popped into her mind. Was there really a reason why no other cat lived in the nest? It was a nice place, really. Out of the way, hard to see, it has a river and is probably crawling in prey. Why wouldn't anyone want to stay there?

When Icefur jumped out of her thoughts and back into reality, she noticed how quiet it was. Leaf-bare was always the most silent season. All she heard was the wind. That was until she noticed they were being watched.

"Hey wait," she whispered to the others. "I feel like someone is watching us…"

Ashstar looked into the trees not far from them and stared intensely into the forest. Icefur looked at him then the forest. Him again, then the forest. When she looked at the leader again, she saw his eyes widen.

"We have company!" He yelled and got himself into a fighting position.

"What? What is it"? Breezetail asked. But his question was answered when four large rats appeared out of the nearby forest and ran up to them. Which was strange because rats don' usually come out during the day.

"Get ready," Ashstar warned before jumping at the closest rat. Icefur attacked another and Breezetail ran at the third one. But there was still one more. While she and Breezetail were occupied, the forth rat crawled up to Ashstar while he was fending off the first. He wouldn't be able to fight two of the ugly grey creatures at once.

Luckily for the warriors, another cat jumped out of nowhere and tackled the fourth rat before it got to Ashstar.

"Blaze," he said, astonished. Blaze was unable to reply at the moment while he attacked the rat.

Icefur yanked her paw away from being bitten just in time and brought it down again and clawed the rats' head.

The rats' nasty jaws almost bit off Breezetails' tail. When the rat missed, it was about to charge at Breezetail but as it did, the tom pulled his weight on his front legs and kicked at the rat with his back.

Ashstar was cautious before attacking the rat. When he found an opening, then grey cat jumped over the rodent and clawed its furry back. The rat turned around but he clawed its head.

Blaze was never properly trained like the others but was still able to put up a fight against the small monster. The rat almost bit Blazes' arm but he pulled back at the last second. The rats' teeth did break the skin but it was nothing bad. Then Blaze swept his paw through the air and past the rats face, leaving a claw mark.

Not long after Blaze jumped in, two of the four rats ran away while the other two were killed. The ones who got away did go home with some bad scratches thought.

"Thanks for helping out," Breezetail said to the loner.

"No problem. I was glad to have done something to repay you before leaving."

"How did you know to come out here?" Icefur asked curiously.

"I'm not quite sure," Blaze admitted. "I just walked out and saw something going on. So I ran here as fast as possible."

"Well it's a good think you did," Ashstar said. Then he noticed Blazes' leg was bleeding. "Oh, your leg…"

Blaze looked down at his leg. "I can take care of it. Cobwebs, right?"

"That's right," Icefur replied and smiled.

"Well I better get back to Cream and Light. Thanks for everything!" The clan cats watched as Blaze ran off back to the abandoned twoleg nest.

"We should get back too."

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When the three cats returned to camp, Icefur was surprised to see Ashstar immediately jump on the Tallrock and call a clan meeting. Icefur and Breezetail gathered with the others.

"Today we have two kits who are ready to become apprenticed. Rockkit, step up."

Icefur didn't see this coming. She wondered when the last kits in the clan were going to become apprentices, but she didn't think it would happen already. Time has been going by so fast.

"Rockkit, you have reached your sixth moon and are now ready for your apprentice name. From now on until you receive your warrior name, you will be known as Rockpaw. Your mentor will be Snowpelt."

The light grey warriors' face broke into shock and pure happiness. He probably wasn't expecting this. The young warrior jumped onto the rock with Ashstar and Rockpaw.

"Snowpelt, you are ready to receive your first apprentice. You are enthusiastic and clever. I trust you will pass these traits down to Rockpaw."

Snowpelt and Rockpaw touched noses and jumped down.

"Rockpaw, Rockpaw!"

"Now Maplekit, step up." The small brown she-cat jumped onto the Tallrock. "You have also reached your sixth moon and are ready for your apprentice name. From now on until you receive your warrior name, you will be known as Maplepaw. And your mentor will be Icefur."

Icefurs jaw dropped open. _What? Me?_ She was still so young and Ashstar was already giving her an apprentice! She jumped onto the Tallrock, still finding it hard to believe it was happening already.

"Icefur, though you are young, I believe you have what it takes to be a great mentor. And I trust you will pass this down to Maplepaw."

Icefur looked at the new apprentice and they touched noses before jumping down.

"Maplepaw, Maplepaw!"

"Clan meeting dismissed," Ashstar said and jumped down. Bramblestripe and Breezetail walked over to Icefur.

"I can't believe what just happened," Icefur admitted to her friends.

"Me neither," Bramblestripe said with a huge smile. "Congratulations!"

Icefur turned to Maplepaw. She began to feel dizzy at the thought that she had to teach this cat everything Stormtooth taught her. She started to doubt she had what it takes. She was hardly a warrior herself.

"When can we start?" Maplepaw asked Icefur.

"Uh, tomorrow," Icefur said and noticed the apprentices' smile dropped.

_Oh no, was that wrong? Are we supposed to start today? I don't know what I'm doing!_

"Uh, I'm sorry Maplepaw. I had a full day… If it helps, I bet I can get Snowpelt to wait for tomorrow to," Icefur struggled to say.

"Alright," Maplepaw sighed and walked away. But when she left, Icefur was relieved to see the apprentice walk off with a smile. She was so happy to be an apprentice.

"Are you alright, Icefur?" Breezetail asked her. "Why are you so freaked out?"

"What? Oh, I uh, I'll be right back."

Icefur walked through the camp urgently and finally found Stormtooth. She ran up to the warrior.

"Stormtooth, you have to help me! I have no idea what I'm doing! How am I supposed to teach Maplepaw how to be a good warrior when I have only been doing it for two moons?"

"Relax," he started. "You need to forget you are so new to being a warrior."

"Forget? How is that possible! How could I forget?"

"I just told you to relax!" Icefur didn't reply. "Remember that you are the one in charge. She wants to impress you. When you're training, let her do that. She'll do whatever you say."

Icefur began to calm down. "But what if I don't know what to teach her? I'll look like a mouse-brain."

"Plan what you're going to do the day before you do it. If you can't think of anything, join a border patrol or hunting party. Thinking about teaching another cat will seem hard before you do it but when the time comes, you will know what to do."

Even though Stormtooth didn't have the softest voice in the forest, he did make Icefur feel better. She took a deep breath.

"Alright, thank you… Yeah, I'll be fine. This will be fun. It'll be easy if Maplepaw and I become friends."

"Just like what you did with me?" Stormtooth smirked and walked away. When Icefur watched him walk away, she smiled to herself. When she was an apprentice, she tried really hard to be friends with Stormtooth no matter how impossible it seemed. Until now, she never knew if it actually worked.

"Yeah, I'll be fine."

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Later that day, the medicine cat walked up to Ashstar when the sun started going down.

"Good evening Heatherwish," the leader said, knowing what this was about.

"Why did you do it?" She asked plainly.

"I don't know what you're talking about," he replied even though he did know.

"Icefur! Why did you give her an apprentice already? You know it's too soon."

"Two reasons, actually. One, I know she will be a good mentor. Just the way the acted today told me that. And two, this relates to my plan I told you about a while ago," the leader explained calmly.

"Oh that… Remind me?"

"The prophecy says 'darkness will befall the path of ice.' I'm thinking this 'darkness' will affect her behavior. I can't just follow her all day to find out, but Maplepaw can."

"What do you mean?" Heatherwish asked.

"The mentors behavior impacts the apprentice. If Icefur starts changing, so will Maplepaw. I will know if or when it happens this way."

"What!" Heatherwish yelled, now enraged. "You're using Maplepaw to test a theory? That's just not right."

"I also did it because I think she will do a good job… And I know… But I'm desperate here. You have to understand that this is our only choice right now."

Heatherwish shook her head. "I don't approve."

"It's already done," Ashstar sighed. "If I'm wrong, then no harm is done."

"And if you're right?"

"Then it'll be a good thing I decided to give her an apprentice already."

"If you are right, and she starts… Changing, then what are you going to do about it?" Heatherwish asked.

"It depends on the situation. But I'll make sure to handle it the best possible way… Yeah, She'll be fine."

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**A/N: Well that was fun to write. Anyway, I am now going to tell you my master plan. After a few more chapters of fun little events, then I will begin the beginning of my 'big event!' The part I have been waiting for since chapter one! The thing that will lead up to the sequel! Woo, this is exciting. D**

**I have a feeling this chapter wasn't too exciting but hey. I guess it's just an extra-large filler. In a way... Maybe.**

**Hollyfeather1 gave me the idea of the first part: Breezetails' chat with the guys. =D Thanks!**

**Also, I want to thank everyone else! You guys have been so nice and supportive and the reason I'm still writing. Thank you so much for everything!**

**Have a nice day~**


	25. Back Home

_Chapter 25_

A few days have passed since Icefurs' encounter with the rogues and getting a new apprentice. So far, she already explored the territory with Maplepaw and taught her some basics of hunting and fighting. Now, they were in a border patrol with Snowpelt, Rockpaw and Dustfoot. The sun was going down and this was also the first patrol Icefur was leading and she struggled to hide her nervousness in front of the apprentices.

"Where to next," Dustfoot asked Icefur. They were at the edge of the territory by Shadowclan. Opposite of where Fourtrees was.

Icefur noticed all eyes were on her so she had to think fast. "Uh, we keep going down the Shadowclan border to refresh the scent markers. Then we do the same for Riverclan." She noticed the cats didn't look content with her answer. They probably already guessed everything she said before she said it and wanted more detail.

"I'll show you on the way," she muttered with a fake smile and started walking while the others followed. Maplepaw caught up to Icefur as they walked through the icy moor.

"So why do we have to cover so much land when we're on a border patrol?" the small apprentice asked. "Why can't another patrol do have of it?"

Icefur was glad she actually knew the answer to this. "We need most of the cats to hunt. It may take more time, but having one patrol at a time uses up less cats that could be hunting. But this job is still very important," she replied, remembering Stormtooth saying almost the exact same words to her. Maplepaw nodded and they continued on.

For the rest of the patrol, Icefur was worried about how the other cats thought about her. Could they tell she was nervous? Did they think she was too unsure? These thoughts were bothering her for a while until she finally decided to not worry about it and focus on the patrol and answering Maplepaws' questions.

The sun was setting when they were done patrolling. Icefur was glad to see camp in the distance. When they got to camp, Icefur told Maplepaw to check with the elders before getting some prey and they she would have the rest of the night off.

Icefur went and sat down in her nest. Border patrols were always tiring. Icefur sat and watched the sun disappear behind the mountains, thinking about the next day. She already knew what she planned to do but it didn't involve her apprentice this time.

A few days ago, some loners told Icefur someone moved into the barn and was kicking out any cats who went there. She shouldn't care but the barn was once her home and she refused to sit back and let someone abuse it. Icefur planned to lave camp the next morning and go there. She will talk to this cat and tell them to stop or leave. And she planned to go alone.

But Icefur knew she needed something for Maplepaw to do. She thought about it for a moment and decided. Maplepaw will just have to tag along with Snowpelt and Rockpaw without her.

Icefur sighed. She deeply hoped Maplepaw thought she was a good mentor. She wished she could just go up to the apprentice and ask, but that would probably be somewhat awkward.

Icefur watched as more and more warriors came over, ready to go to sleep. More joined them once the sun was completely down. Icefur knew she should be trying to get some sleep too, but something kept her awake. Because she was unable to figure out what it was, she decided to go for a walk.

Icefur quietly stepped out of her nest and away from the warrior area. About to leave camp, she noticed Rockpaw, Maplepaw and Gravelstone talking. Gravelstone was their father, so it made perfect sense. The deputy walked away and Rockpaw and Maplepaw continued talking. Icefur was already heading in their direction, so she decided to say hi on the way out.

Icefur was apparently more tired then she thought she was. The white she-cat hit her paw against a rock as she walked. Icefur paused, trying to wait for the pain to go away. Once it began to disappear, she tried walking again but her paw was still hurt. She found herself falling over and into a bush.

She noticed the talking stopped. _Well that didn't need to happen, _Icefur thought to herself. She sat in the bush, waiting for her paw to feel better but couldn't help but overhear Maplepaw and Rockpaw talking.

"So what do you think of Snowpelt?" Maplepaw asked this to her brother.

"I think he's a good mentor," Rockpaw replied. "He's not boring or mean and let's me try things out for myself. How do you feel about Icefur?"

"She's nice," Maplepaw replied shyly.

_Nice? That's it? _Icefur thought to herself as she sat in the bush in a very uncomfortable position.

"She just seems to nervous about everything. I like her but I don't know why Ashstar chose her. I don't think she wants to be my mentor," Maplepaw continued.

_What? Yes I do! I just don't know how to._

"It's only been a few days," Rockpaw pointed out. "Give it time, I'm sure she'll come around."

"You're probably right." Icefur saw Maplepaw looking at her paws as she spoke. She probably didn't believe what her brother said. "I'm getting tired, I'll see you tomorrow."

The two apprentices walked off to their nests. Icefur got out of the bush and shook off the twigs and dead leafs and sighed. Now she knew what she had to do. Icefur had to stop worrying about everything and be a good mentor. She had to be like Stormtooth. But without all the yelling and anger…

Icefur wasn't in the mood to walk anymore. She went back her nest and curled up. Now she to do something with Maplepaw the next day to prove her wrong but she still had to go to the barn. _I guess it'll have to wait._

But she did plan to take this more seriously. In fact, if she was going to do this right, she had to have someone cover for her in case anyone asked where she went.

Icefur stood up and looked around at all the sleeping cats.

_Who can I trust? Bramblestripe? Definitely. Breeezetail? Of course. Rowanpelt? Completely. But who? _Icefur knew she can't tell all three of them but she didn't want to pick one out of her friends. If someone else found out, they might think she didn't trust them. Then she got an idea.

Icefur walked over to the light grey cat and woke him up. "Snowpelt," she whispered. "Wake up."

Snowpelt woke up and looked at her with a groggy expression. "Is it time to train already?" He muttered.

"No, listen to me," she said, finally grabbing his attention. "I'll be gone for a little while tomorrow. If anyone asks, tell them I just went on a patrol by myself. And please take Maplepaw training with you tomorrow," she explained with a hushed tone.

"Alright," he replied.

Icefur thanked him and went back to her nest to get some sleep.

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When Icefur woke up the next morning, the first thing she did was getting something to eat. Afterwards, she noticed Maplepaw, Rockpaw and Snowpelt talking. She figured they were talking about going hunting or something and walked in the other direction, out of camp.

If anyone watched Icefur leave, they would guess she was going to the center of the territory. But instead, but would be circling around the camp so no one would know where she was actually heading.

As she walked through the snow on the ground, Icefur watched the camp as she passed by. It was far away but she wondered if anyone could see her.

As Icefur continued on, she began to get the feeling she wasn't alone. Like someone was following her. If that was true, then it was probably someone from camp wondering where she was going.

Her suspicions were confirmed when she heard someone jump in a nearby bush. Icefur calmly turned to the bush. "I know you're in there," she said. "Come out."

The cat who emerged from the bush was one Icefur did not expect; it was Maplepaw.

"Maplepaw, why are you following me?" She asked firmly.

"I thought it was strange you weren't going training with us. I saw you leave and followed," Maplepaw replied, probably thinking she was in trouble.

"What did you say to Snowpelt?

"I asked him if I could check up on the elders and told them to go ahead."

Icefur sighed. "Well you should go back to camp."

"But I want to know what your doing," the apprentice said. "Remember it's your fault we aren't training."

Icefur narrowed her eyes but inside, she wanted to laugh. Maplepaw reminded her of herself. "What I'm doing is none of your business."

"Please?" Maplepaw asked her mentor.

"Fine," Icefur sighed, knowing Maplepaw would be hard to get rid of. If she said no, the apprentice would probably just follow her again. "But don't get used to it."

As the two she-cats walked, Icefur realized it wasn't such a bad thing Maplepaw joined. At least now Icefur will be able to act like a mentor like she wanted to the night before.

While they walked through the snow, Icefur explained to Maplepaw was exactly she was doing until they noticed the barn in the distance.

"There it is," Icefur muttered. "I used to live there."

They ran forward until the reached the barn. "What now?" Maplepaw asked. "Do we go in?"

"Not yet," Icefur muttered. "I want to go look at something. Wait here." As she spoke, Icefur was looking up at the nearby hill. It was covered in plants with one large tree at the top. She remembered climbing up there so often with her sister as kits.

Icefur left Maplepaw and walked up the hill. As she walked past certain landmarks, she couldn't help but think about all the good times Cloudheart and she had. It felt so long ago.

When Icefur got to the top, she remembered the latest memory of the hill; the day the sisters dragged their parents' bodies up to the top. She wasn't surprised to see the bodies were gone, as if it never happened.

When she looked in the spot where the bodies once were, she realized something. When Cloudheart died, she was absolutely devastated. When her parents died, she was sad but it didn't feel as intense. Perhaps when she was a kit, Icefur didn't really understand what death meant.

She wanted to stay up on the hill longer but knew Maplepaw was waiting for her. Icefur sighed and walked back down.

Maplepaw was sitting right were she left her. To be honest, Icefur was surprised.

"Okay, let's go in now. Rememeber, we aren't looking for a fight." Maplepaw nodded and they walked through the barn door. It was never shut all the way during the day.

It felt so strange to be back inside the barn for Icefur. For some reason, it seemed much darker inside then she remembered. "Hello?" She called into the barn. "We're looking for the cat who lives here!"

There was no reply. Icefur and Maplepaw looked around for any cat but they didn't see anyone. "Anyone home?"

And suddenly, they heard a voice. "What do you want?" The toms' voice was dark and hostile.

"Are you the one who lives here?" Icefur asked. There was no reply so she took that for a yes. "We can to ask you to stop chasing out other cats'. I used to live here and the barn is supposed to welcome any cat who wants to stay in peace.

"I can't do that," the tom replied. Icefur couldn't pinpoint his location exactly but she knew he was hiding in the shadows somewhere.

"Why not?" Icefur asked, angry at the cats' stubbornness.

"I will not allow strangers to get in my way. I wont be here long but he more interruptions I get, the longer I will be forced to stay."

Icefur really didn't want to fight at the moment so she was hoping there was a way to work something out with the mysterious cat. "How long will you stay here?"

"Not long," the cat replied casually. "Two, maybe three moons."

"I don't think that'll work," Icefur growled. "Cats are always wondering this area. If I meet any in that time that say you chased them out, I will bring a whole patrol here." Icefur didn't really like threatening others but this was serious to her.

It seemed like the unknown tom didn't want to fight either. "I'm sure everything will work out just fine. Once I leave, I will never have a reason to come back here again."

Icefur sighed. "I suppose that'll work…" She still didn't like that the cat was kicking out travelers. She would like to do the same to the tom but if she did, she would be no better then him.

"Great, now good bye. You don't want to keep Windclan waiting."

Icefur and Maplepaw walked out of the barn. "That was weird," Maplepaw muttered.

"Yeah I know," Icefur agreed.

"I wonder how he new we were from Windclan."

"He probably just guessed, since we are the closest clan," Icefur replied but she wondered too. But the warrior pushed the thought aside and they started walking back to camp.

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When Icefur and Maplepaw returned to camp, they spotted a crowd was gathered in the center. "What do you think that's about?" Maplepaw asked.

"Let's go find out." Icefur and Maplepaw walked into the crowd until they reached the center. They saw Heatherwish was looking at a pile of snow. "What's going on?"

"Come over here and see for your self," Heatherwish replied. Icefur and Maplepaw walked around the snow and next to the medicine cat. They followed her gaze at the snow and saw what she meant. There was an area in the snow where the snow has melted and in the middle of it, there was a picture of something. It looked like a cloud.

"What does it mean?" Icefur asked.

"We think it's an omen sent from Starclan. Under the cloud, there are small specs of snow. We think it's warning us about a snowstorm."

Icefur looked at the cloud again. For some reason, it made her shiver. Because Windclan didn't have any trees, a Snowstorm would do a lot of damage."

"When will this happen?" It was Maplepaw who asked.

Ashstar spoke up now. "We can't be sure. But when it does happen, we have to be ready."

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**A/N: I plan to write the next few chapters pretty quickly. I am so excited to get to my 'event.' And you guys should be too. =D**

**Anyway, it may seem like that thing with the cat in the barn wasn't really finished. Maybe you're thinking, "How could Icefur be okay with that? Why didn't she do anything?" I intended to but honestly, I just wanted to get this chapter finished. :J But do not think that part was pointless…**

**Well, thanks for reading and please review! ^_^ Have a nice day~**


	26. Rising Storm

_Chapter 26_

Many days have passed since the clan received the omen of the cloud-shaped pile of snow. There has only been one sign of a storm since then but it was false. Because the sky was filled with clouds that day, Maplepaw had to postpone going to the Moonstone for the first time. All the other days had nothing but clear skies, yet the clan remains on guard. They still didn't know if the other clans knew about the storm too.

Tonight was the gathering and Icefur wasn't picked to go this time. She wasn't so upset about it since she went to the last one and had a full day anyway. She just returned from a hunting party with her apprentice and some other warriors. The ones chosen to go to the gathering would leave soon since the sun was beginning to go down.

Maplepaw ran up to Icefur when she grabbed a rabbit from the fresh-kill pile.

"Rockpaw told me he's going hunting and asked me to come. Can I go?" She asked her mentor hopefully.

"But you just got back from hunting. I don't want you to overwork yourself," Icefur told her. She already agreed inside her head but wanted to know what the apprentice would say. She admired Maplepaws' enthusiasm.

"Because it would be fun!" Maplepaw exclaimed with a large smile. "Oh, and the clan needs more prey anyway."

"Alright but don't take long. You know how cold and windy it gets at night." Maplepaw thanked her and ran out of camp with her brother.

When she was gone, Icefur looked around camp for someone to talk to. She spotted Bramblestripe sitting by herself. Icefur grabbed another rabbit for her friend and walked over.

"Hi Bramblestripe," she said after she dropped the rabbit by her feet. "Want something to eat?"

"Thanks." Bramblestripe dragged the rabbit towards her and bit into it. Icefur did the same with hers. "So how is mentoring going?"

"Great," Icefur said after taking a bite. "I was really nervous at first but it's actually pretty fun. Maplepaw just went out to hunt again for the second time today."

"Whoa," Bramblestripe replied. "You must be doing a good job."

Icefur smiled in reply to the comment and finished off the rabbit. She stretched out her legs and looked up at the sky away from the clans. And what she saw sent a shiver down her back.

"Look at that," she muttered to her friend.

The grey and black she-cat looked up at the sky. The sight was unsettling for her also.

In the sky, the two friends saw a huge, dark cloud coming towards them in the distance. It was either a million dark clouds or one large one that took up have the sky. It seemed endless, about to cover the rest of the blue sky forever.

"Uh, it's probably nothing," Bramblestripe said, trying to reassure both of them. "Like last time."

"I hope so but it looks nothing like last time. It's so much darker and bigger. They'll probably have to cancel the gathering."

"Maybe but it might clear up before that… At least enough for the moon to show."

"Either way, we should tell Ashstar." Icefur and Bramblestripe stood up and quickly found the leader. He was just walking into camp from somewhere.

"Ashstar," Icefur called when she spotted him. "Did you look at the sky recently?"

Ashstar looked confused until he looked up. "Great Starclan," he muttered in surprise. "I can't believe I missed that."

"What should we do?" Bramblestripe asked him. "This could be the storm Starclan warned us about." Icefur thought it was funny how Bramblestripe was suddenly acting like the one who was sure it was the omen storm when before, she was basically denying it.

"It looks like we still have some time before the clouds come over camp," he said, still looking at the clouds. Though they were dark and frightening, the mass of darkness was still far in the distance. "If this is the storm from the omen, we don't know how long it will last when it reaches us. I want some more hunting parties to go out now. Please tell Gravelstone that." Icefur and Bramblestripe nodded and Ashstar walked away.

Then the two she-cats began searching for the deputy. When they saw him, they ran up to him.

"Ashstar wants to send out more hunting parties before the clouds come," Icefur said to him.

Gravelstone looked up at the sky and saw the clouds for the first time as well. "I'll get on that. Bramblestripe, you didn't go hunting yet, right?"

"Right," she said with a nod.

"Then you can lead with Runningshade, Sunclaw and Rainpaw."Bramblestripe nodded and ran off.

"You just returned from hunting?" He asked Icefur.

"Yes I did."

"Then you should stay here." Gravelstone walked away to continue ordering the cats. Icefur was disappointed she was told to stay in camp but brushed the feeling aside.

She sat back and watched as groups of cats rushed out of camp for some last minute hunting. The cats chosen to go to the gathering were probably still asleep and Icefur wondered how they would feel if the gathering was canceled.

Icefur watched the sky for a while. The clouds slowly crept closer and closer to camp. She could already taste the dampness in the air. With a growing fear she began to realize this was most likely the storm Staclan warned them about. Now that she really thought about it, Starclan wouldn't send them a sign unless the storm was going to be really bad.

Then another worrying thought jumped into her mind; Maplepaw and Rockpaw. The two apprentices just left to go hunting. They have probably been too occupied to notice the clouds growing near. She hoped they would come back in time.

Now most of the camp was well aware of the storm thanks to Gravelstone. Cats were buzzing around the area, preparing the camp for the storm. Icefur walked into the underground cave where the clan would sleep when bad weather attacks Windclan.

It seemed safe enough. Deep enough so the ground wouldn't break for any reason. It was large enough for all the cats yet closed in enough to keep it warm. Just being in the cave made her feel safer.

Icefur walked back outside and into the center of camp. Because she was told to stay in camp, she felt like there was no way for hr to feel useful. Then she spotted the medicine cat den and walked inside.

"Hello Heatherwish and Nightpaw," she said when she walked in. The two medicine cats were sorting out herbs, "Anything I could help you with?"

"Oh that's nice of you to ask," Heatherwish said without looking at her, too bust in her herbs. "But I'm not sure you could help."

"Why not?"

Nightpaw spoke up. "We need more Catmint. We are completely out and we're having trouble finding more. If any cat gets' Greencough during the storm, we're going to have some trouble."

"Well maybe I can look for some," Icefur suggested.

"Thank you, but you wouldn't know where to look," Heatherwish said. We're just going to have to wait until after the storm."

"Oh, all right," Icefur sighed and walked out of the den. There didn't seem like there was anything for her to do, so she decided to get some rest. She sat down in her nest. She was the only one in the warrior area at the moment. Icefur sighed tried to get some rest.

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"Wake up!" Icefur was taken out of her dreams at the sound of a voice. "Icefur, wake up!" She heard the urgency of the voice and was jolted awake. She was surprised with how much the sky has changed since she fell asleep.

She saw Breezetail standing in front of her. "The storm is here, we have to get underground!" It would be hard to hear him because of the intense wind if he wasn't yelling.

Icefur jumped up and nodded. As they ran towards the cave, she noticed the sky was covered with dark clouds and it was freezing cold.

When they climbed underground, she was relieved to get out of the strong wind. The cave was filled with the Windclan cats. Everyone was gathered together in the one area. Few cats actually looked calm. Most were scared and nervous but at least it was warmer underground.

"Thanks for waking me up," Icefur said to her friend.

"No problem. I was surprised the storm didn't wake you before I did." Icefur smiled and Breezetail left to join Bramblestripe.

Icefur looked at the group of cats. It seemed kind of nice to have everyone together. She wondered if everyone would form a circle and tell stories and laugh until the storm blows over. _That would be nice… I guess this means the gathering isn't going to happen tonight.  
_

Her warm thoughts were interrupted when Snowpelt ran up to her. "Icefur, have you seen them?" He quickly asked.

"What? Who?"

"Rockpaw and Maplepaw! I haven't seen either one of them until they left to go hunting."

Icefur gasped. "You think they're in the storm?" she asked, hoping he would say anything but that.

"Well they certainly aren't here…" Both mentors were worried about their apprentices. Icefur saw Ashstar and Gravelstone talking and the two warriors padded up to them.

"Maplepaw and Rockpaw are missing," she told the leader and deputy,

"We know. And I'm going after them," Ashstar told her.

"What?" Gravelstone said this. "You can't go out there alone. I'm going with you."

Before he could respond, Snowpelt spoke up. "So are we." Ashstar looked at the three cats and the determination they all shared. "Alright," he said. "We need to go now before the storm really kicks in."

The four cats emerged from the cat to see it was already snowing. "Too late," Gravelstone muttered.

"It doesn't matter now," Ashstar said above the sound of the wind. "Let's get moving."

As the four cats began fighting their way through the snow covered moor, Icefur was shocked to see how much it changed so quickly. When she was hunting, the layer of snow was very thin and the sky was blue. Now they had to hike through the thick layer of snow and to make it worse, the powerful wind was blowing against them. Icefur knew it would only get worse.

"I wonder what could have made Starclan so mad," Snowstorm said, forced to raise his voice so the others could hear.

"I have no idea," Icefur said loudly. "Maybe it's one of the other clans."

"Cloud be," Gravelstone agreed. "Perhaps that's why we got a warning."

Ashstar, Gravelstone, Icefur and Snowpelt kept walking through the harsh wind and snow, all hoping to find the apprentices soon so they could return to the safety of camp.

At this time, the felid seemed like a while new place to Icefur. She has never seen so much snow before; it was everywhere. They were heading for the forest, thinking the apprentices would go there for cover since it would be the closest place for them.

"If we don't find them soon, someone will have to come out and find us," Icefur muttered, struggling to keep up in the snow. It was so strange how this storm appeared out of nowhere and how suddenly it started

"The forest is up ahead," Ashstar said to the others and they all quickened their pace.

When they entered the forest, no one was too concerned about being in another clan's territory at the moment. Even guarded by all the trees, the wind still blew ferociously and everything was covered in snow.

"We need to find them fast," Snowpelt warned when they all stopped walking to catch their breath.

"They wouldn't wander too far," Ashstar said. "Let's look around here before moving on."

So the four cats' began searching through the snow and the trees. They all took on their own area but everyone was in view of each other so no one would get lost.

Icefurs' energy was quickly getting drained. She could see her breath in the icy air when she breathed. She was also getting hungry but it would be impossible so find any prey at the moment. Nor was it the time anyway.

She quickly lost track of time while Icefur was wondering the area. She had no idea how much time has passed since they entered the forest but it felt like a long time.

While she walked, the cold was making her tired. Icefur knew very well not to fall asleep in such a place so she forced herself to stay awake and watch her step. But when she wasn't looking, Icefur jumped over a snow covered, fallen log and tripped over was next to it.

She angrily turned to what she tripped over but was surprised to see Rockpaw and Maplepaw were curled up together. They were probably too cold to notice Icefur but she could tell they were awake.

"Rockpaw, Maplepaw," she said, trying to get their attention.

Maplepaw realized Iceur was their first. "Icefur?" She asked, confused.

"Don't worry, we're going to get you out of here." Icefur stood up and looked for the closest cat. She first saw Snowpelt and called him over. They both picked up an apprentice by the scruff.

"We need to find the others," Icefur said through her teeth. Snowpelt nodded and scanned the area. "Ashstar! Gravelstone!" He yelled after setting Rockpaw down. "I don't see them anywhere," he said, turning to Icefur.

"Then you hurry back to camp and I'll find them." Snowpelt wanted to argue but it was the most sensible choice. The apprentices need to get out of the storm but they can't abandon the leader and deputy. So he grabbed the two apprentices and ran out of the forest, leaving Icefur alone to find the others.

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"Great, now we have two more cats to look for," Gravelstone complained when he and the leader realized they got separated.

"Don't get your tail in a knot." Ashstar muttered. "This isn't the time for that."

"You're right, I'm sorry. But I'm not sure any of the four cats can handle this cold for too long," the deputy said.

"We will find the apprentices. As for Snowpelt and Icefur, I believe they will be fine."

"No offence," Gravelstone began. "But Icefur is the newest Windclan warrior. I don't understand why you have so much faith in her."

Ashstar didn't reply so the deputy figured this wasn't the time.

They started walking through the forest, trying to head back to where they started but it was hard to tell which way was which in the horrible weather.

Ashstar and Gravelstone usually had a great sense of direction and were able to navigate through situations like this with ease. But for once, they felt completely lost in a place they have known for their whole lives. The cold was beginning to get to them which didn't make tit any easier.

"I think we're going through circles," Ashstar said to the deputy behind him while they wandered the forest. He heard no reply so Ashstar spun around and saw Gravelstone was having trouble just standing. They both knew they have been in the storm for too long.

But now it wasn't just a storm. The overwhelming amount of snow and wind seemed unnatural. Ashstar knew this wasn't a snowstorm; it was a blizzard.

He ran up to his deputy and helped him up. Gravelstone was usually a very strong warrior but he always hated the cold. It was a weakness for him.

Ashstar was relieved to finally see Icefur in the distance. He called to her and she gladly ran over, surprised to see how bad the snow hit them. She seemed to be in much better condition then Ashstar and Gravelstone, which hit him as odd.

"Where is Snowpelt," the leader asked her.

"We found Rockpaw and Maplepaw and he went back to camp while I stayed to find you two," she answered.

"Then let's get out of here."

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They had their doubts, but the three eventually made it back to camp and were welcomed into the cave with warmth and congratulations from the others.

Though she didn't have much to work with, Heatherwish was already working on the cats who came out of the storm the moment they stepped underground.

Icefur was glad to see Rockpaw and Maplepaw sleeping soundly. They looked much better but still kind of shaky. Their rich brown fur was cleared of the snow that covered them before.

When Heatherwish was done giving Icefur, Ashstar and Gravelstone the herbs she brought down with her, the three were free to finally get some rest until the storm blew over. They all got some prey from the pile that was brought down and began to get some rest.

At least, they tried to. Gravelstone and Ashstar began coughing before long. Heatherwish was the first to realize what the problem was, followed by Nightpaw.

Icefur walked over to them before she fell asleep.

"Just as I feared," she heard the medicine cat mutter to herself after looking at the leader and deputy.

"What's the problem?" Icefur asked her.

"It seems that Ashstar and Gravelstone both have Greencough," she replied with worry in her eyes.

"You can heal them after it stops snowing, right?"

"I'm afraid it's not that easy," she said. "We are completely out of catnip or anything else that could help. And it'll be hard to find any in leaf-bare anyway."

"So what are you going to do?" She asked, now panicked.

"Don't worry about it. They will be fine eventually, go get some rest." Icefur sighed and sat down again to get some sleep.

"Do you need anything?" Nightpaw asked the leader and deputy.

"Yes I do," Ashstar muttered after coughing again. "Until we are healthy again, I want to put Leopardshadow in charge of the clan."

Nightpaw nodded and turned to find her.

When Icefur made herself comfortable, she silently preyed to Starclan the two cats will be okay and the storm will be gone by morning.

Times have been dark. She knew things needed to get better soon for the sake of the clan.

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**A/N: Well that was fun. For whatever reason, that took a long time to write. Huh...**

**Anyway, thanks for reading, please review, etc, etc, etc. I really want to know what you guys think! =D  
**

**I gotta say, things are moving alone very smoothly. Really, we only have a few more chapters until the beginning of my 'big event.' And those chapters all lead up to it. They're kind of like a prologue to that, in a way. How exciting! Ooooh, I have some big surprises coming up. ^_^ Just thinking about them is getting me all excited!  
**

**Like I said, please review and have a nice day~ :)  
**


	27. Catmint

_Chapter 27_

A full day has past since the storm started. Because the clan was unable to hunt, they had to save as much prey as possible, which meant every cat had to share more then usual. Icefur even heard Leopardflower say if the storm didn't stop soon, they would have to take refuge in Riverclans' camp.

When Icefur woke up the second morning of being stuck underground, she felt very stiff. The cave floor was doing no good for her back. She looked over to her friends Rowanpelt, Breezetail and Bramblestripe. Rowanpelt was just waking, followed by the other two.

"Good morning," Bramblestripe said as she yawned.

"What's so good about it?" Breezetail muttered. His sister nudged him and stood up.

"I wonder if the storm is over?" Icefur thought aloud and padded over to the caves' entrence. She crawled through until she reached a layer of snow that she had to push out of the way. When she got through that, Icefur came out of the ground to see it was no longer snowing. She quickly went back to the cave to tell everyone.

"Hey everybody, the storm is over!" After she spoke, cats fought to get outside to see it for themselves.

When everyone was outside, looking at the camp, they all saw it was smothered in heaps of snow. Though they would be able to walk outside, the Windclan cats still needed to sleep underground. But even so, that wasn't the worst of their problems.

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When Heatherwish left the cave, instead of taking a moment to enjoy the fresh air, she ran over to were the medicine den used to be and started to dig it out. She was hoping there was some catnip still inside that she missed when she was sorting through the herbs last. But before she even reached the den, she gave up, knowing it was impossible. Even if there was any, it couldn't have survived the cold storm.

She glanced around the area, about to look for Ashstar but then remembered she put Leopardflower in charge. She spotted her and walked over.

"If Ashstar and Gravelstone are going to get better, I need to get some catmint from Riverclan," the medicine cat explained.

"Alright but hurry back."

Heatherwish quickly found her apprentice, Nightpaw, and they set out to Riverclan.

It was difficult for them to travel through the steep piles of snow but they endured it and didn't stop.

When Heatherwish and Nightpaw reached the river, they pondered if they should wait for a patrol or just walk in. Healing the leader and deputy was important but they didn't want to upset the clan.

In the end, they didn't need to decide because the Riverclan medicine cat saw them at the border and walked over. He was on one side of the gorge and the Windclan cats were on the other.

"Coldstone," Heatherwish started. "We came to find you. We were wondering if you had any catmint."

"I would love to help but I was actually walking over to ask if you had any catmint…"

Both medicine cats looked at each other. They were thinking the same thing; they couldn't go to Shadowclan or Thunderclan so their only choice was to search for some more.

"Then I guess you and I have to look for some," Coldstone muttered. No cat would want to wander through the snow.

"Yes we do."

"What about me?" Nightpaw asked his mentor.

"You need to go back to camp and tell Leopwardflower this and take care of Ashstar and Gravelstone until I come back," she replied followed by a sigh.

"Alright," he said. "Do you know how long you will take?"

"I will definitely be back by tomorrow." Nightpaw nodded then turned and started running back to camp.

Where do you usually find catmint?" Heatherwish asked Coldstone.

"At the twoleg place behind out camp but last I checked, there wasn't any there."

"I can find some at the barn but I didn't find any there either. Where do you think we should check?"

"We would find some at the twoleg place near Thunderclan," Coldstone informed her. "But I don't think they will give us a warm welcome, Medicine cats or not."

"Yes, you're probably right. But I wont let them stop me from healing the sick," Heatherwish said, determined to do whatever it takes. Coldstone nodded. "It's really our only choice. Let's go."

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Heatherwish and Coldstone were quick to start walking. They both wanted to get the catmint and return to their clans as soon as possible. They already figured out what route they would take.

The two medicine cats agreed to walk through Riverclan territory until they reach the border with Thunderclan. After crossing into their territory, they would go straight to the Treecut Place and then into the Twoleg Place to get the herb.

They had no trouble walking through Riverclan. The only thing that got in their way was the snow. Heatherwish realized how bad the other clans got hit even with their trees. She briefly wondered how the other clans coped.

When they arrived at the Thunderclan border, they waited a while, watching for any warriors. They didn't see any on a border patrol, so they walked into the forest.

"I hope we don't run into anyone," Heatherwish whispered to Coldstone while they walked.

"Yeah, me too. We have to be fast," the grey tabby whispered back.

Luckily for them, the Treecut Place wasn't too far from the border. If they could only make it that far, the rest of the journey shouldn't be too hard.

The two tried to be as quiet as possible while they went through Thunderclan territory but froze when they heard voices behind some trees.

"I think I heard something over here," one cat said.

"It was probably nothing," said another cat.

"I'll check it out. The rest of you, stay here." Heatherwish and Coldstone glanced at each other, wondered what to do. Unsure how to escape, they did the only thing they could do; the medicine cats jumped into a pile of snow and hoped no one saw them.

They heard a single cat by and actually saw the cats' paws through the whole they made jumping in as he or she walked past the pile. Heatherwish was holding her breath. She hated being to afraid of being seen. She felt like it was wrong for her to be there. In a way, it was but she had to get through no matter what, even if the Thunderclan cats see it as a bad thing.

"I know you're in there," the cat whispered. Heatherwish could tell the cat was a she-cat. And because she was whispering, the cat didn't want to attract the others.

Heatherwish sighed and stood up out of the pile, followed by Coldstone but they cheered up when they saw the cat was Goldenfur.

"What are you doing here?" The Thunderclan medicine cat asked in a hushed tone.

"We need to get to the Twoleg place to get catmint. Please let us past," Coldstone said, unsure of how she would reply.

"Of course you can go through, since you're a medicine cat." The two were relived Goldenfur wasn't mad, like how most Thunderclan cats would be. "Thank you," Heatherwish said with a nod.

"Don't worry, I wont tell them you were here. No go." Heatherwish and Coldstone nodded and ran off while Goldenfur turned to join the others.

"It was nothing," she told the warriors. "Just the wind."

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When the medicine cats got the edge of the Treecut place, the jumped over the fence. Heatherwish has never there before. The trees were different and the snow was already cleared away in certain areas. She heard Twolegs were found in the area but luckily, there were none at the moment.

They both knew the Treecut place was used to train apprentices and since Thunderclan would most likely be occupied after the storm, they figured they didn't have much to fear.

While they walked through, they started talking. "So how is your clan doing after the storm?" Heatherwish asked Coldstone.

"Some kits and elders have Greencough and Whitecough and the camp is a mess but I think we'll be fine once I return with the catnip," he replied confidently. Riverclan was the first this leaf-bare to suffer from Greencough. He is probably excited to get rid of it. How about you? How is Windclan doing?"

"Well Ashstar and Gravelstone both have Greencough. Two apprentices got caught in the storm but they're fine, surprisingly." At first, Heatherwish wasn't sure if she should be telling others about the leader and deputy but decided Coldstone could be trusted.

"I hope they get better soon," the Riverclan medicine cat said before they reached the end of the Treecut place. The Twoleg place was on the other side of the fence. They jumped on top of it and looked over the area filled with Twoleg nests.

"Were should we start?" Heatherwish asked.

"I don't know… I guess we should just start with the first nest and keep going until we find some catmint." Heatherwish nodded and they jumped down into the first fenced area, right behind the first nest. Colorful plants and trees were everywhere. They seemed so out of place and unnatural. The two cats landed behind a bush by the wall and searched the area for the herb.

The snow in the area was mostly cleared out. It didn't look far as bad as the forest.

"Do you see it anywhere?" Coldstone muttered.

"No I don't…" While Heatherwish was looking around, she saw a dog inside the nest. It was looking at them but wasn't able to get outside. It was like there was some weird, invisible wall in front of the animal.

The dog barked but the wall, which made it sound very faint. Heatherwish and Coldstone thought they were safe but a Twoleg inside the nest walked over to the dog and opened the door next to it. Without wasting any time, the dog sprang forward at the two cats. They hardly got any time to think before the dog was basically right in front of them.

Instincts told them to run backwards, but the fence was in their way. The dog stopped a tail length away to the cats surprise and just sniffed at them.

"This is weird," Coldstone whispered.

"Yeah, I guess some dogs don't attack like the others we've seen…" The two decided to was time to leave when the dog started getting more curious. Even if the dog wasn't trying to kill them, they didn't want to hang around.

The medicine cat's jumped over another fence into the next Twoleg nest. Once again, the area was filled with strange plants and snow.

"I don't see any dogs this time," Heatherwish said to Coldstone.

"Yeah, let's look around." The medicine cat's walked around the small field in search for catmint.

Coldstone brushed some snow off of a plant with his paw. "Hey I found some," he called when he looked at the plant. But now that he got a better look, the catmint was dead. Heatherwish padded over and looked at the catnip with disappointment. " I guess we keep looking," she muttered and Coldstone nodded.

There was no more catmint at the nest, so they went over to the next one. Beginning to get tired, they started searching once more. They were less careful this time and ran into the cat who apparently lived there. His fur was a light brown with a few dark brown specs on the back.

"Hi!" The small tom said when he spotted them. He didn't seem the least bit worried two unknown cats were in his territory.

Heatherwish and Coldstone quickly glanced at each other before replying. "Hello," Heatherwish said with a small nod.

"What house are you two from? Did you just move here?" The medicine cats didn't understand what he was saying.

"Uh, we come from the forest," Coldstone said.

"Oh the forest!" The kittypet said with awe in his voice. "I've never been in the forest, I've only seen it from a distance. Anyway, my name is Snickers! What are your names?"

"I'm Heatherwish and this is Coldstone," she said looking over to the Riverclan cat when she said his name. He looked back at her and both knew what the other was thinking; Snickers was a weird name.

"Okay forest cats, what are you doing here?" He asked as friendly as ever.

"We're looking for a herb," Coldstone told him. "Do you know where we can find any catmint?"

"Catmint? I don't know what you're talking about. But inside, there is this tall plant with a lot of purple flowers on it."

"That's it, that's the catmint!" Coldstone exclaimed excitedly.

"I would happily get you some," Snickers said with a smile.

"That would be great," Heatherwish replied with a return smile. The young kittypet left the medicine cats and walked inside the nest.

Heatherwish and Coldstone sat down as they waited. "For a kittypet, he's not too bad," Coldstone commented.

"Yeah," the Windclan cat agreed. "I'm glad he offered to help; I can't wait to get back to camp." Buefoot nodded.

Not long after, Snickers walked back out. "Uh, problem. I can't get it out."

"What?" Coldstone asked. "Out of what? The nest?"

"No, the pot." The medicine cats where once again confused by his kittypet talk. "Come on, I need help getting it out." He turned and headed back for the nest. Heatherwish and Coldstone looked at each other nervously and reluctantly followed, thinking about their clan to drive them on.

They walked into a small, strange whole in the wall; it was just big enough for them to squeeze through. The inside was so strange. It was shard to explain; filled with strange objects they have never seen before. There were a few plants but as surprising as it seemed, they weren't real plants.

They cautiously followed Snickers through the nest and the kittypet noticed. "Don't worry," he said. "My house folk aren't home right now. No one is here." This made the medicine cats feel a little better but it didn't change the fact that they were in an unknown world with a cat who was only a few moons old to guide them.

He stopped in front of a large pile of catmint. The large purple and green plant took up a good amount of space in the corner. Heatherwish knew twolegs had the herb outside their nests, but she had no idea it was also found inside… Maybe it was rare.

"This brown thing the plant is inside is a pot. It holds all the dirt and roots inside," Snickers explained, gesturing to the 'pot'.

"Alright, so how do we get it out?" Coldstone asked the tom.

"Jus like how you would get it out of the ground."

The three cats walked over closer and Heatherwish tried pulling some out on her own. She was a little surprised to see the plant was real unlike the others. And was even more surprised at how hard it was to get some catmint out of the pot.

"We need to work together on this," she muttered with the plant in her mouth. Snickers and Coldstone tugged at the same part she was at it was ripped right out of the pot.

"Now let's get some for Riverclan," Coldstone said and they did the same for another piece.

"We finally got catmint for the clans," Heatherwish said. "Now we should return."

"Yeah, thank you Sni-" Coldstone was interrupted when the three heard a large, roaring sound coming from somewhere inside the nest.

"My house folk are back," Snickers said calmly. Heatherwish and Coldstone grabbed the catmind and ran out of the next with Snickers following.

They jumped on top of the fence and looked back at the kittypet.

"Thank you Snickers," Coldstone said, finally finishing is sentence with catmint in his jaw.

"Glad I could help," he replied. "Have fun in the forest!"

The two cats jumped back down and began racing back to their homes.

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"Thank you Heatherwish," Ashstar said after he was given some catmint after her adventure. "You went through so much trouble to get this…"

"It was no problem," the medicine cat said after giving Gravelstone some too.

They were in the cave, for it was the safest place for the sick leader and deputy. The sun was setting after a long day and Heatherwish has never been so glad to be back in camp.

"You never disappoint," Gravelstone said with a nod. "You should go get some rest."

"Gladly." Heatherwish nodded before leaving the cave and walked into her den. It seems the warriors already cleared most of the snow away for her.

When she sat down in her nest, Nightpaw ran up to her. "Heatherwish, welcome back! You have to tell me everything," he said excitedly.

"Yeah, in the morning," she muttered after closing her eyes. She heard Nightpaw walk away for falling into a much-needed sleep.

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**A/N: Aw, happy ending. ^-^**

**Anyhow, thanks for reading and please review. The more reviews, the sooner more chapters will come out!**

**(By the way, many times, I put catnip instead of catmint. If you see that, please ignore it. I tried to fix as much as possible)**


	28. Secrets

**A/N: For the next [few?] chapter(s), we'll be jumping into the other clans. (They will be smaller then usual) This is because I:**

**A) Need something to fill in a gap.**

**2) Can't think of anything else.**

_Chapter 28_

Shadowclan just finished cleaning and repairing the camp a few nights after the storm. The wind that hit them in the forest was a surprise to them. It was obvious the storm was from Starclan. But only Wolfstar knew why; the storm hit the forest the night of the gathering. That was the night Wolfstar planned to declare war on Windclan and Riverclan. He didn't tell anyone this so it would be a surprise announcement to every cat in the forest, even his own. He didn't even tell his deputy or medicine cat and as now glad he didn't. He had enough of bickering between the clans. Only after a war would finally end it. Others would argue there was a peaceful way to handle it but the clans have tried to keep the peace but it has slowly been crumbling apart and Wolfstar believed it was time for the final blow.

But when the storm came, he knew Starclan was warning him. The Shadowclan leader knew if he declared war at the next gathering, Starclan wouldn't be happy. Thought Wolfstar isn't planning on beginning a war any time soon anymore, he knew it would happen eventually if he had to start it himself or not.

He already knew how to avoid the wrath of Starclan and fight out their problems at the same time and planned to put that into affect soon. But now wasn't the time.

Now, he had to focus on his clan. The dens were overwhelmed with snow and some cats got stuck in the storm and were fighting off sickness. The time to feud with the other clans was not now.

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It was about Sunhigh but there was no sun to look at; it was completely blocked with clouds. They weren't storm clouds, which was good.

Wolfstar walked out of his den and looked upon the camp. Everything was finally back to normal (for now, anyway) and Shadowclan was able to get back to everyday life, now that they didn't need to worry about fixing the dens or anything.

The dark grey tom turned and walked back into his den. He needed to talk to someone and the only way to do that was in his sleep.

The Shaodwclan leader laid down in his nest and began to fall asleep.

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Wolfstar woke up in a forest. It seemed to be nighttime in the forest but he couldn't see the stars because of the think trees above.

He waited a moment and a brown and grey she-cat walked towards him.

"You fool," she hissed. Her first words surprised Wolfstar but he didn't react.

"What do you mean?" he asked with some irritation.

"I'm sure you know just as much as I do that Starclan sent the storm to stop you from starting a war. But you don't need to declare it in front of the other clans to start fighting! Why didn't you just attack anyway?"

"I have my reasons, Owlgaze." Owlgaze first appeared to Wolfstar a few moons ago and has been trying to 'help' him with the clan since then. She was once a Shadowclan deputy but died before he was even born. Together, they thought up the war idea that is yet to come into affect. "The storm hurt the clan; if I brought them into a fight, they wouldn't win in their current state. Also, Starclan wouldn't stand for it."

"If you don't have faith in your warriors, that means the clan is weak," she growled. "And what could Starclan do? You shouldn't fear them." Wolfstar always thought it was strange how Owlgaze talked about Starclan when she was a dead cat herself.

"I don't fear them," he said in defense. "I fear what they might do. Now is not the time for war." He decided to ignore Owlgaze when she called Shadowclan weak. He knew if he argued, they would shrug and change the subject. There was no point.

"They shouldn't interfere," the she-cat muttered. "If you continue with the plan, they probably wont this time and hope the clans will handle it."

"Either way, I cannot take that risk. I must wait for the clan to heal and for Starclan to think the idea is forgotten," the leader told her. Personally, he never intended on going against Starclan. He never had anything against them but if he didn't do anything, things in the forest would only get worse. He had to continue with what he was doing even if Starclan didn't understand.

"Well you can't wait too long or it'll be too late. The clans are losing their senses. This is the only way to return order. After the war, everything will be fine," Owlgaze continued.

"I know that," Wolfstar snapped. She told him that many times before and he was getting sick of hearing it. He felt there was another way to bring peace to the forest but he didn't know it. Sometimes, he felt like Owlgaze wasn't telling him everything but there wasn't much he could do about it. "I ill definitely wait until after leaf-bare. Perhaps new-leaf… I'm not sure."

"Well you better get sure," she growled again. "You don't realize it, but we're quickly running out of time!" After hearing that, he was sure there was something she wasn't telling him. Something much bigger and she was able to hide from him.

Owlgaze was probably going to continue talking but Wolfstar spoke up quicker, suddenly annoyed. He didn't plan on confronting her, but there was really no reason not to. "Alright I had enough of this," he growled. "You say you come to me to help Shadowclan but al you talk about is this war! And at a time like this, it certainly doesn't sound like you want the help the clan. So tell me what you're really up to!"

Owlgaze just looked at him for a moment. Her expression was impossible to read. She then sighed and shook her head. "You don't understand." Her voice was softer now. "When the war ends, the clans will calm down and end the fighting for a while. It was settle the problems. But before that happens, Shadowclan is vulnerable. Only solving the conflict between the other clans will ensure safety for our clan. I am not hiding anything."

Wolfstar wasn't quite sure if he should believe her or not. He didn't reply just yet.

"Shadowclan will be safe but only if you trust me," Olwgaze added. Her eyes were filled with honestly but Wolfstar was able to look past that. Just her personality made it difficult to trust her but…

"I suppose," he sighed. "But if I get a slightest feeling that you're not telling me anything again, I'll make sure to learn the truth."

"I completely understand," he said with a welcoming smile. Wolfstar had to force himself not to growl at her. She does a great job at confusing him. She often changes the way she speaks and looks at him; it's so hard to know when she is sincere.

Before the Shadowclan leader could say anything else, everything began to fade away and he began to wake up.

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When wolfstar woke up the next morning, he walked outside his den to see the camp as alive as usual. Warriors were walking in and out of camp, apprentices were scattered through out the camp and the kits were just outside the nursery.

He also spotted his deputy, Frostheart, organizing hunting parties. Ever since Thunderclan allowed them to hunt in their territory, the clan has been doing much better in prey but leaf-bare was still difficult.

He walked up to her. "Good morning," he said casually. "Anything interesting happen to the dawn patrol?"

"No but something did happen to a hunting part early this morning," she white warrior said when she turned to him. "They had some trouble at a border.

"The border with who?"

"Riverclan." Wolfstar didn't expect this. They didn't even have a border with them. Unless… "They met a Riverclan border patrol while hunting in Thunderclans' territory. They are unhappy about us sharing with Thunderclan."

"I see… What happened exactly?" the leader asked.

"There wasn't any fighting but it was close. Apparently, Riverclan is very suspicious about Thunderclan and us. They think we're plotting something," Frostheart replied calmly.

"It's always something." Wolftar whispered this to himself before talking louder. "Hunting parties should stay away from the borders for a while," he replied. "We don't want Windclan or Riverclan getting the wrong idea."

Forstheart nodded. "I'll tell them that."

Wolfstar walked away and sighed but he stopped when two kits jumped in front of him, Leafkit and Oakkit. They also happened to be the only kits in Shadowclan at the moment. The two kits both looked up to him as a leader but for different reasons. But he didn't know what they were.

"Hi Wolfstar," the she-cat, Leafkit, said cheerfully.

Oakkit smiled at him. "Hi," he said.

"Hello," Wolfstar said. The day just started but was already feeling tired.

"Mistlystripe and Pineclaw are going on a patrol," Leafkit told him. "Can we go with them?"

Wolfstar was glad to see the kits were so excited to become warriors. "Afraid not," he said. "You're not old enough."

The two kits groaned. "No one would have to know." Oakkit added with a wide smile.

"I would know," the leader said.

The two kits looked at each other with disappointment. "I knew we should have asked Frostheart," Oakkit said to his sister,

"I think you would run into a similar problem." Wolfstar walked off. The kits cheered him up but he still had a lot on his mind.

It seemed the leader would never get a moment of peace. At least, that's what he muttered to himself when a senior warrior, Darkstorm, walked past with a new scratch on his muzzle.

"Darkstorm," he said, catching the warriors' attention.

"Yes Wolfstar?"

"How did you get that scratch?" He asked him.

"I was on the hunting part that met with some Riverclan cats. I'm sure Frostheart told you about that already," he replied. Wolfstar could tell he wanted to finish the conversation quick to hurry to the medicine cats' den.

"Yes but she told me there was no fighting."

"A warrior struck out at me but that was it. You couldn't really call that a fight," the warrior muttered.

"Alright… Thank you," Wolfstar said and Darkstorm continued on his way.

Riverclan seemed to have it out for them. That's when Wolfstar made up his mind. He couldn't wait to start a war. He needed to put RIverclan back in their place and show them they cannot mess with Shadowclan and not expect to get some of it back. Very soon, he will have to attack them.

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**A/N: Once again, sorry that this chapter isn't very long. The next wont be too long either. Probably.**

**Also, I know the correct way to write the clan names are WindClan, ThunderClan, etc. I would start doing that, but I think it's a little too late now for this story. Oh well. :/ Bear with me.**

**Thanks for reading and please review! I love all the reviews I am getting, please keep it up and I'll write more chapters in return. =D**

**Have a nice day~**


	29. After Recovery

_Chapter 29_

About two moons have passed since the storm and the clans haven't been too active in that time. They have been busy worrying about themselves.

One night in Thunderclan, Flamekit visited Redshade again in his dreams. It was good to see his deceased brother again. The last time Redshade saw him was the night before Lightstars' death.

"I have something very important to tell you," the young Starclan cat said.

"It seems like every time you visit me, it's to warn me about something," Redshade pointed out, wishing Flamekit would drop in to say hi some day.

"Yes, that's the point." Redshade sighed. "Anyway, in Starclan we don't always know what the future holds but we can predict. And certain things have been telling us that something horrible will happen."

"What is it?" the red tom asked, doubting his brother would tell him after he spoke.

"I can't tell you. If what we believe is true, then something will happen that will eventually make its way to you."

"What do you mean?" Redshade asked Flamekit. Nothing he said ever made sence.

"Look; when you're in a moment of great conflict, you must forget about your own personal thoughts. You must choose with what is right; with Starclan." Flamekit looked straight into Redshade's eyes. What he was saying was very serious.

"Can you at least tell me when this might happen?"

"No but it wont happen for many moons. Just keep this in mind when the moment comes." Redshade didn't get to reply before the dream forest started to fade away. He wished he could at least say good-bye but it was too late before everything had completely disappeared.

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Redshade woke up when someone outside the den called for a clan meeting. (Obviously Hawkstar.) He realized he overslept and walked outside.

The camp was still covered with snow but it wasn't as bad as before. In fact, it has gotten better. Leaf-bare was drawing to an end.

He joined the group of cats that gathered beneath the Highledge. Hawkstar stood on top and looked down on the warriors, waiting for everyone to come.

"Today we welcome a new apprentice into the clan. Dawnkit, step up," the leader called and the kit jumped next to the leader when called.

Redshade completely forgot about Dawknit's apprentice ceremony. Since her brother and sister died, she has been keeping to herself.

"Dawnkit, you have reached your sixth moon and are not ready for your apprentice name. From now on until you earn your warrior name, you will be known as Dawnpaw. Your mentor will be Redshade. I know he will pass down his courage and loyalty onto you."

Redshade was shocked. He honestly didn't expect to be given an apprentice. All the cats around him looked over in his direction, waiting for him to step up. He hesitated at first but quickly brushed it aside and jumped onto the Highledge. He made sure not to look surprised or out of control. Instead, he looked relaxed, yet pleased.

Redshade and Dawnpaw touched noses and both jumped down.

"Dawnpaw, Dawnpaw," the clan cheered before the two Thunderclan cats jumped down.

"Clan meeting dismissed." Hawkstar also jumped down and Dawnkit ran up to her parents, Greyshadow and Flowertail. Redshade watched as the three of them talked. The parents looked so proud and Dawnkit looked so happy. He couldn't wait to start training.

That's when his friend Tigerstripe walked up to him. "Congratulations," he started with a wide smile. "You're a mentor!"

"Thanks," Redshade replied.

"Before you leave to train, I should tell you something," the striped tom said, now more serious. He brought him out of the crown and next to the warrior den so no one would likely see them.

"Okay, you didn't hear it from me but a lot of cats think Hawkstar is giving you special treatment." This shocked Redshade.

"What? That's crazy, why would cats think that?"

"Think about it; you were his apprentice and you were given your warrior name pretty quickly. And the day he became leader too. You're still a pretty new warrior and you already have an apprentice. He could have assigned Dawnpaw to a senior warrior but he chose you."

"Yeah I guess," Redshade muttered. "But maybe he wants to give me an apprentice because I'm a new warrior. There's something wrong with that."

"Hey I'm on your side but that's just what some cat think. Just watch your back, right?" Redshade nodded and Tigerstripe walked away. He began to wish his friend didn't tell him that.

Redshade sighed and walked back to Dawnpaw. The small she-cat was done talking to her parents and friends and seemed ready to set out.

"So what are you going to do first?" she asked him.

"Let's start with exploring the territory," Redshade said. The first day was easy because all mentors always did the same thing.

"Great!"

Redshade and Dawnpaw left camp and started walking along the border with Riverclan after going past the Treecut place. They didn't spend much time there. He already decided to talk a little about the clans as they walked by the borders.

While the two walked through Sunningrocks, redshade started explaining some things about the clan. "Thunderclan and Riverclan are always fighting over Sunningrocks. We have it right now but when you go on patrol here, don't be too surprised if you get attacked," Redshade said, wondering if that sounded threatening or weird at all.

"You probably know this but Riverclan is the only clan that enjoys swimming.

"Past Riverclan is Windclan. They are the fastest clan in the forest and live in the open moor." Redshade stopped when Dawnpaw spoke up.

"Riverclan and Windclan? I heard some warriors saying they didn't like them… Are they that bad?" She looked up at her mentor.

"No, they aren't bad," Redshade said, hoping she wouldn't repeat everything he said to the other warriors. "We are kind of feuding with them right now but no clan is all bad."

"Then why do they smell so bad?" Redshade laughed and they kept walking through the sheet or snow until they reached the border with Fourtrees. On the way, they dropped by the Owltree but didn't stay there long either.

"Those huge trees back there are called Fourtrees. That is where we have gathering every moon," he said while he looked at them through the other trees.

"I bet gatherings are really fun," Dawnpaw said cheerfully.

"They are but it can be quite… Dramatic. Now we're heading to the border with Shadowclan." They kept walking until they reached the Shadowclan border. On the way there, Redshade was sure to explain everything that came to mind.

"Wow, they smell really weird," Dawnpaw muttered. "How do they live like that?"

"That's what they say about the other clans. The feeling is always natural when it comes to that," he said, remembering when he was getting the tour of the territory.

"Hawkstar is letting Shadowclan hunt in our territory until Leaf-bare ends so if you see any of them, don't attack them."

"Why would he do that? Even I know how much the clan needs more prey," Dawnpaw asked, still looking out into the other territory.

"I guess it's because Thunderclan needs an ally right now. Many think a war will start between Thunderclan and Shadowclan, verses Windclan and Riverclan," Redshade said with a sigh. The last thing he wanted was war. Sometimes he felt like he was the only one who wanted to avoid war as long as possible.

"And that's bad, right?" Dawnpaw asked.

"It's horrible!" Redshade shouted a little too loudly. He started Dawnpaw and probably scared some prey away. He didn't mean to shout but was briefly locked in his thoughts. "I mean… War can never bring anything good. It'll be best if the clans work out their problems without having to use tooth and claw."

The Thunderclan cats continued walking. After a small moment of silence, Redshade continued to explain everything that seemed important. After finishing the Shadowclan border, they walked through the center of the territory and Redshade pointed out the landmarks like the Great Sycamore, Snakerocks and the Sandy Hollow before finally got to the Tallpines.

"Tallpines is used by Twolegs so they can cut the trees down," Redshade explained while they stood on the fence and looked over it. "Right next to it is the Treecut place were they actually cut the trees.

"If you look back there, you can see the Twoleg place. It's out of our territory so you can't go back there. It's filled with Twoleg nests and kittypets."

"I heard some Kittypets go into our territory sometimes," Dawnpaw said, wanting Redshade to father explain that.

"Yes they do but it's pretty rare. Most of they are afraid of us. If you ever see one, you should tell them to leave and if they don't, you'll have to chase them out. It's always easy since they never got any training."

"Why do cats' even live in there? What's so good about it?" Dawnpaw asked her mentor.

"It's a soft life. They just sit around all day and food gets handed to them by Twolegs. It's much easier but the warrior codes says we must reject that life," Redshade explained before jumping back down into their territory.

Dawnpaw followed. "That's good, I would hate to sit around all day long. I already had six moons of that."

They two cats walked through the forest and back to camp. The sun was already going down when they finished and both of them were pretty tired from so much walking and talking.

Since they still had some time in the day, Redshade told his apprentice to go see if the elders needed anything then she would have the rest of the night to do whatever.

Redshade got some prey from the fresh-kill pile and sat down in his nest inside the warrior den. He was glad to finally get some time to sit down and relax. It seemed like the day went by rather quickly thought.

While he was busy being a mentor, Redshade never got any time to think about what Flamekit told him the night before. He tried pondering it but there was no way to could know what he had to watch out for.

His brother told him that something will happen and he will have to make a decision and choose between what he wants to do and what would be better for the forest.

Redshade sighed while thinking about this. How did he get tangled up in this? If this 'something' wont happen for a while, how did Starclan even know about it already?

The warrior forced himself not to worry about it. If he had to wait, they there was no reason to use the time he had freaking out over the warning. He believed he would know it when the time comes.

Redshade finished off the mouse he took from the pile and walked back outside.

He saw Dawnpaw was just walking into the elders den with some moss in her jaw and Redshade began to think about having an apprentice already. It was so strange how ones life could change so much in just a single moment.

Everything was so peaceful in the camp. But Redshade knew it wasn't real. In reality. the clans are on the verge of war and it is only a miracle there have been no attacks lately. He shuddered when he wondered how long that would hold.

There was no way to know when the next attack will be or which clan it will be on but something deep inside him told Redshade that the silence wont hold. Eventually, something will happen.

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**A/N: I feel bad… I had you all wait so long for this small chapter and I wanted this chapter to be about Riverclan. But apparently, after days of pondering it, I couldn't think of any good ideas for a Riverclan Chapter. So I'm just going to skip them and go back to Windclan on the next one. Kind of… Heh.**

**Anyway, I'm so sorry I made you wait so long and I'll try really hard to make sure that doesn't happen again. School starts in a few days so we can't be sure…**

**Also, I know I'm speeding things along very quickly but that's just how it'll have to be for now. Thanks for reading and please review.**


	30. Just a Feeling

_Chapter 30_

Icefur woke up in the crisp morning air. She opened her eyes to see it was still dark since it was leaf-bare, but the clan was already active. A few moons have passed since the storm and Icefur felt she had to thank the storm for the lack or intruders or anything like that. All the clans seemed to be too busy worrying about themselves and life has been pretty peaceful in Windclan.

She stood up and walked through the snow that covered the camp. It was thinning down which made the whole clan a bit more cheery.

She walked over to the apprentice area to see her apprentice, Maplepaw, was still sound asleep. Icefur debated weather to let her sleep or wake her up and decided to wake her up. They needed to do some battle training.

She was about to nudge the apprentice awake but she was too slow and Maplepaw opened her eyes and saw Icefur standing beside her.

"Good morning," Icefur said. "I hope you plan on getting up soon, we're going to do some battle training today."

Maplepaw stood up and yawned. They both knew how hard it was to get up before the sun. "Alright, I'll be ready in a second." Icefur nodded and walked away.

She walked over to the edge of camp to wait for Maplepaw. Icefur always thought that beginning the day with hunting or training made her more prepared for the rest of the day.

She didn't have to wait long before Maplepaw bounded up to her, prepared to go and suddenly more awake then before.

"Alright, let's get going," she said.

Icefur was about to leave the camp with her but paused when she saw Breezetail racing up to her.

"Icefur, I need to tell you something," he said urgently when he caught up.

"Sure Breezetail, what is it?" Icefur asked him.

He glanced at Maplepaw and Icefur understood what he meant. "Maplepaw, could you give us a minute?" She asked her. "This seems important."

"Okay," Maplepaw said and walked away calmly. Icefur turned back to Breezetail and smiled. "Alright, so what did you want to tell me?"

He took a deep breath before speaking. "Well… We've been friends for a while now. And I just want you to know that I like you." He looked really nervous as he spoke.

"I like you two," she replied plainly. "Remember when you told me the same thing as apprentices?"

"No, not like that," he said. "What I mean is, I think I lo-"

"Help!" Breezetail was interrupted when someone in the camp shouted out loudly. Icefurs' attention was dragged away from her friend and to a group that was gathering around a single cat.

"You can finish that sentence later," Icefur said and ran off to see what was going on.

Breezetail watched her leave. "Why now?" he muttered to himself and slumped after her.

When Icefur got into the crowd, she was surprised to see an injured Riverclan cat in the center. She recognized the cat to be Lilypool. She was covered in scratches behind her light brown fur.

"What happened?" Ashstar asked the she-cat.

Lilypool was out of breath but managed to say the words anyway. "It's Shadowclan… Shadowclan is attacking… We need help." He was obvious she ran as fast as she could to get to Windclan.

Ashstar reacted first and jumped onto the Tallrock, which was right behind him. The clan was already gathered so he didn't need to call a meeting.

"We're going to help Riverclan. Gravelstone will lead the first group over there with Flowerfrost, Dustfoot, Mudwhisker, Icefur and Maplepaw. Then I will lead another group over there with Leopardflower, Stonepaw, Rowanpelt, Brightfire and Breezetail. The rest will stay here. Heatherwish, make sure to help out Lilypool before she heads back to her clan."

The cats gathered in the two groups and the first set out.

Icefur followed closely behind Gravelstone as he led the cats to Riverclan territory. The sun was just peaking out of the distance but not enough to light up the field.

Icefur has had a lot on her mind lately but at the moment, she was completely focused on getting to Riverclan and helping them fight off Shadowclan.

She briefly wondered how they were able to beat up Lilypool to badly. Last time she saw them, Shadowclan wasn't that big and they certainly didn't look prepared for battle.

When they arrived at the camp, the fighting was still going on. They jumped in and instantly brought into battle.

Icefur was tackled by a large Shadowclan she-cat. She recognized the cat to be Bluefur. She hasn't seen her in a while…

She blue she-cat clawed at Icefurs' muzzle after Icefur threw her off. Icefur flinched when she felt the stinging pain but quickly clawed back, scratching Bluefire on the solder. Then she tackled her and bit down on her back. Bluefire hissed and was able to get Icefur off and bit her tail. Icefur growled and clawed her side and ran into her again. She dug her flaws into her flank and Bluefire growled at her. After she let go, the Shadowclan cat ran away in pain.

Icefur searched for another cat to help and as she did that, she noticed there were a few Thunderclan cats in the battle too! That explains how they outnumbered Riverclan.

Icefur noticed a Shadowclan tom and a Thunderclan she-cat were ganging up on Brownpelt, a Riverclan tom. Icefur jumped on the Shadowclan cats' back from behind and startled all of them. As the Thunderclan cat recovered from the shock, Brownpelt clawed her.

Icefur saw the two cats were Blackcloud and Flowermist. She dug her claws into Blackclouds' back and bit his shoulder. He yowled in pain and rolled over, forcing her to let go. She stood back up and he clawed her side and pinned her to the ground. She used her hind legs to kick at him to push him off. After a moment or panic, the Shadowclan tom jumped back and Icefur sprang back up. The white she-cat clawed his chest and he had enough and fled.

She took a few deep breaths to get her strength back. The two cats fought each other evenly and Icefur was worn out. But then she heard Gravelstone yell something and the second group of Windclan cats charged into the battle with Ashstar leading them.

The attackers began to get pushed back once the reinforcements came but they didn't want to give up just yet.

Icefur was distracted watching the extra Windclan warriors come; she forgot to look out for herself. A cat come up from behind her and clawed her down her back. She yelled in pain and shock and quickly turned around. Her strength was drained out when she saw the cat was the Thunderclan deputy, Thistlescar. The ruffled tom looked intimidating. Whether it was during a battle or a gathering, the look in his eyes made it seem like he wanted to kill someone.

Icefur remembered when Rowanpelt told her what happened the night Cloudheart did. He and she were fighting Thistlescar and Sparrowfall when some warriors attacked Nightpaw. Since no one knew who those warriors where, she could only direct her anger on him. Perhaps that would help her win the battle.

Ignoring the sting on her back, she gathered her strength back and lunged forward at the deputy but he was expecting it. Thistlescar jumped out of the way and watched as Icefur flew past him. When she landed back on the ground, she tried to move fast but Thistlescar quickly bit her on her back, just adding to the current pain.

Icefur spun around and slashed him across the face. He winced and she jumped at him again, this time, pinning him down. But that was a wrong move. He was already much bigger and stronger then she was and quickly kicked her off.

As she endured her wounds, Icefur used her speed to dash around Thistlescar and sank her teeth in his shoulder. The Thunderclan cat hissed and she let go and made some distance between them to catch her breath. Thistlescar was about to attack again, but then they both heard the sound of retreat coming from somewhere inside the battle. The Shadowclan cats and Thunderclan cats all fled at once. Thistlescar left after growling at Icefur one more time.

When Icefur let down her guard, thinking it was over; another cat tackled her from behind. On her back, she looked up at the powerful cat who attacked her and saw it was the Shadowclan deputy, Frostheart. "Tell Ashstar to stay out of our way. Or you'll all regret it," she growled then jumped off and ran into the forest with the others. Icefur was too surprised to hide her expression or fight back.

Icefur stood up and watched the Riverclan territory clear out. Panting hard, she thought about what Frostheart said. Why did she decide to tackle her of all cats? Why not Ashstar himself? Icefur shook her head, knowing she would never uncover the answers and joined the other Windclan cats.

The Windclan cats gathered behind Ashstar, getting ready to leave. Ashstar was talking to Featherstar.

"Thank you for helping us," Featherstar said with a thankful nod.

"We were glad to," Ashstar replied plainly. "Now that Shadowclan and Thunderclan are working together to fight us, we must make sure to do the same."

The leaders finished their conversation and the Windclan cats headed back to camp. On the way back, they saw Lilypool walking back to her camp. She looked much healthier thanks to Heatherwish.

Icefur found Breezetail as they walked through the moor. He had a limp but looked fine other then that.

"Hello," she started.

"Hey."

"So what were you going to say before Lilypool ran into camp?" She asked, just now remembering it.

Breezetail stopped and Icefur did the same. The other warriors walked past them. He took another deep breath like he did that morning. "I was going to say that I lo-… I loved getting to know you."

Icefur smiled at him. "I loved getting to know you to." Then she kept walking and Breezetail followed. It could just be because he was hurt, but he looked quite down on himself for some reason.

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When the warriors returned to camp and the injured went in to see the medicine cat, Icefur thought they won the day but she didn't know what happened.

Ashstar called a clan meeting and everyone gathered, wondering what he planned to say.

"I regret to say that Gravelstone must step down as deputy and move into the elders den long before his time."

This came to a major shock to everyone. No one thought Gravelstone of all cats would have to step down as deputy.

"Just before the retreat, he was clawed across the face. The wound on his eyes was too deep and he is now permanently blind," Ashstar told the clan. He looked as a strong as ever but Icefur could see the leader was sad.

"So now I must appoint a new deputy." Ashstar waited a moment before continuing. All the cats below were disappointed about the news. "I say these words before Starclan, that the spirits of our warrior ancestors may hear and approve my choice. The new deputy of Windclan is Hollytail."

Hollytail looked surprised, yet happy. Icefur didn't expect this though. She never got to know Hollytail that much so she wouldn't know if she would make a good deputy. But since Ashstar chose her, she must be the right cat.

After the cats quieted down after congratulating her, she spoke out. "Thank you, Ashstar. I will do everything in my power to protect and defend our clan. I wont let you down."

Ashstar dismissed the meeting and many cats crowded Hollytail. Icefur felt the grey she-cat would do a great job.

She left the large crowd of cats and spotted Gravelstone inside the medicine cat den. He had a large claw mark on his eyes and he looked depressed, which was understandable. Icefur felt bad for him but sadly; there was no way to help. She just hoped he would be able to handle being blind. He was a strong warrior and didn't deserve to be stuck in the elders' den just yet.

She walked through the camp and saw Maplepaw was resting in her nest and talking to her brother, Rockpaw. She was glad to see she was okay after the battle. Rockpaw was probably upset he didn't go too but she guessed Snowpelt planned to take him out hunting or something soon to make up for it.

Icefur walked over to her nest and decided to get some rest as well. She watched as the warriors of Windclan padded around the camp as if nothing happened. Everything seemed to calm again.

About to shut her eyes to get some sleep, Icefur began to get a strange feeling. It felt like someone was watching her; watching the whole camp. She casually glanced around the area and so no one suspicious. She didn't smell anything odd but she couldn't shake the feeling. She looked behind her but there was still nothing.

So why did she feel this way. Unable to bare it, she stood up and found her friends Bramblestripe Rowanpelt and Breezetail. While she spoke with them, she tried to forget about the creepy feeling of being watched.

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**A/N: I bet you're all sad about what happened to Gravelstone but at least I didn't kill him off. :) I was going to actually but after listening to a friend complaining about it for half an hour, I got an even better idea… And it's not over yet! D**

**School just started today and I'll try not to let it get in the way of writing. Either way, I'll still have a new chapter ready every few days.**

**I hoped you all liked this chapter! Thanks for reading and please review! =D**

**Have a nice day~**


	31. Troubles

_Chapter 31_

About a quarter moon has past since the battle between the four clans on Riverclan territory and the snow was thinning out. Hollytail has been doing a great job as deputy; everyone thought so. She knew how to take charge and handle certain situations. It seemed like she has a hidden talent that she wasn't able to show until she became the new deputy of Windclan.

With a gathering coming up soon, Ashstar should be worried about it. After the recent fighting between the clans, anyone would be. But he currently had other things on his mind. The leader was once again thinking about the prophecy. He still remembered it clearly. 'Trust will die and death will revive. Only then will darkness befall the path of ice.' He still wondered what it meant.

Ashstar tried his best to keep it out of his mind for so long, but he couldn't help it anymore. After seeing how well Icefur has been doing in the clan, he doubted his theory more and more. How could Icefur possible become as dark as the prophecy said? It didn't seem likely.

After pondering it for a while, Ashstar began to feel bad about thinking Icefur could be involved. The prophecy could be about anyone and pinning it on her was just unfair. He decided not to assume whom it was about until he knew for sure.

The leader already told Heatherwish about this. He was glad and happily agreed Icefur wasn't involved. After clearing this, Ashstar began to feel better about everything. Before, he was worrying about the events that have been going on too much and was pleased to have one less thing to watch for. Like Heatherwish said a long time ago, there was no point in searching for signs of the prophecy. They will appear when it happens.

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The sun was beginning to go down and Breezetail was sitting near the fresh-kill pile with Rowanpelt. After the battle, he never really got any time to talk to him for some reason. He assumed Rowanpelt was just busy.

"So I said I loved getting to know her," Breezetail told the brown tom, looking down at his paws. He was telling his friend about the conversation he and Icefur had before and after the battle.

Rowanpelt smiled like he was about to laugh. "Why didn't you just finish what you planned to say the morning before? You were going to tell her you liked her."

"I was going to," Breeezetail said in defence, looking back up. "But it didn't seem like the right time."

"You're probably right," he replied. "If your going to tell a she-cat you love her, you should do it when she isn't occupied with something else."

Breezetail nodded and sighed. He was getting nowhere with Icefur. Every time he tried telling her how he felt, he hesitates and messes it up.

Rowanpelt looked past Breezetail and saw Blackspot and Flowerfrost talking. The she-cat smiled and left, leaving Blackspot to finish the rabbit he was eating. "Looks like things are going well with them," Rowanpelt said to Breezetail.

Breezetail turned, following Rowanpelt's gaze. "Yeah I guess… I didn't even notice they were so close."

"Maybe he can help you out," Rowanpelt said standing up and walked over to the spotted warrior with Breezetail following.

"Hey Blackspot," Rowanpelt said when they walked over.

"Oh, hey guys. How's it going?" he asked them.

"Not so well," Rowanpelt admitted. "Breezetail I shaving she-cat troubles." He looked over to Breezetail and smiled at his unamused expression.

"Well maybe I can help." Rowanpelt and Breezetail sat down.

"Don't tell her," Breezetail started. "But I like Icefur. A lot. I don't know how to let her know. If you asked her, were just friends."

"If she thinks you're just friends, you don't want to tell her you like her yet," Blackspot told him.

"Why not? What should I do first?"

"If you tell her you like her and she just thinks you're friends, you'll probably just embarrass your self and make things awkward," Blackspot explained. "You want to get her to like you before making a move."

Breezetail was suddenly glad they came to Blackspot. He seemed to know what he was talking about. "How can I do that?"

"I know you two are close but you have to become her best friend. With what Icefur has been though, I doubt she'll even think about a relationship unless you are always on her mind."

Breezetail looked over to Rowanpelt. He seemed pretty impressed as well.

"I'll try that," Breezetail said. "Thanks."

"No problem," Blackspot said and the two toms stood up and left.

Now Breezetail had a pretty good idea of what to do with Icefur. And for once, he felt confident.

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With a gathering coming in a few days, Icefur would have been wondering about it but something much more important has been on her mind. Since after the battle of the four clans, she continued to have the strange feeling like she was being watched or someone was nearby that she couldn't see.

It was mostly near the forest when she was doing border patrols or hunting. She continuously tried to never be afraid of anything but this creeping feeling broke right though her shield. Deeply worried by this, Icefur always made sure not to leave camp alone if she would be out for a while. Even if it was just Maplepaw, she felt much better when someone was there.

After some days past, she felt the need to tell someone.

Icefur wondered the camp, searching for Bramblestripe. The she-cat was always able to help when something was wrong. But before she found her, Icefur noticed Breezetail walking to Rowanpelt. The tom walked away for him and spotted Icefur and padded up to her.

"Hey Icefur," he said cheerfully, with a random hint of confidence.

"Hi," she said then decided to tell Breezetail about the main thing on her mind. "I need to tell you something."

"Alright," he said and the two walked to the edge of camp. She didn't want anyone else to hear.

"Since the battle a quarter moon ago, I keep getting the feeling like I'm being watched outside of camp," Icefur admitted, very glad to have someone else know. Breezetail looked concerned.

"Anyway I can help?" He asked her. She was a bit surprised to see how worried he seemed for her.

"I just don't want to leave camp alone," Icefur told him, careful to keep her voice down. "And don't tell anyone. I don't want to get anyone worried."

"I wont tell a soul," Breezetail said with a reassuring smile. "

"Thanks." Icefur began to feel a little better now that Breezetail knew.

"I'm going to Bramblestripe and maybe Rowanpelt some other time too," she told him, glancing around the camp, still wondering where Bramblestripe was.

"If there's anything else you need, just let me know." Icefur looked back at Breezetail after he spoke and smiled.

"Thank you." Icefur left and decided to get something to eat after Breezetail left to talk to Rowanpelt again.

She took a rabbit out of the fresh-kill pile. As leaf-bare came to an end, she was glad to see a little more prey in the pile even though it still snowed every once in a while. It was clear to her new-leaf was coming.

Icefur sat down and began eating the prey. As she finished it off, she saw Hollytail walk up to her.

"Hello Icefur," she said. "How are you doing?"

"I'm fine," Icefur said but she lied. She was still worried about whoever was following her.

"That's good. I'm leading a border patrol and I would like you and Maplepaw to come along."

"Glad to," Icefur said and smiled. She wanted to get out of camp to clear her mind. She knew nothing would happen if she were in a group. "I'll get Maplepaw now."

The new deputy nodded and left to join the others. Icefur stood up and walked over to the apprentice area.

Maplepaw was the only apprentice there. All the others must have been out for the day or in the elders' den. "Hey Maplepaw, we're going to join a border patrol." Maplepaw jumped up at the news, clearly excited.

The two she-cats came to the camp entrance to join the others. The cats coming along were Hollytail, Sunclaw, Rainpaw, and Dustfoot. After they all got together, the group left camp and headed over to the western border, near the barn and started moving up to the Shadowclan border.

As the patrol moved on, Maplepaw and Rainpaw have been talking for almost the whole time. It was obvious they were good friends. They reminded Icefur of she and Cloudheart.

Icefur walked next to Hollytail. She never really got to know the she-cat but she was already a great deputy. No better then Gravelstone of course, but still very talented.

When they got to edge of the Shadowclan border, near Fourtrees, they stopped.

"Let's take a short break here before we continue," Hollytail said to the others and sat down.

Sunclaw was talking to Rainpaw and Dustfoot was scanning the area for something, probably prey. Maplepaw padded up to her mentor since Rainpaw was busy.

She didn't really have anything to say, so they just sat together.

Icefur was taking the time to rest for the next stretch of the borders. She felt completely calm and decided to start a conversation up with the deputy. Maplepaw followed.

"Hello Hollytail," Icefur said with a smile. The deputy was looking into the forest. It was really only a fox length away from where she sat.

"Hi," the she-cat said plainly. "How is your day going?"

"Fine so far," Icefur said with a smile as she made small talk. But before Hollytail replied, Icefur looked into the forest as well, and a disturbing feeling came over her again. Something inside her gut told her someone was in the forest, looking right at her. But she couldn't tell where exactly, or who.

She began to feel uncomfortable but tried to put her attention back on her conversation with Hollytail.

"That's nice," the white and brown cat replied.

Icefur was tired of being so scared in her own territory. Whoever was following her, she wanted them to know that the cats of WIndclan are strong. And since she was talking to the deputy, she decided to point it out.

"So for have been deputy for a while now and I think you're doing a great job," Icefur exclaimed. She wasn't really talking to Hollytail though. She was actually talking to the hidden cat in the forest. With the deputy at her side, Icefur has nothing to fear.

"Thank you," Hollytail said and smiled. "It's not always easy but I'll do anything for the clan."

Icefur nodded and Hollytail stood up again. "Alright, let's keep going." The patrol started moving down the border again. Before Icefur joined them, she looked into the forest one more time, and then kept going.

After they got to the Riverclan border, Icefur could tell the cat in the forest was no longer near. The cat only seems to come when she's near a forest or someplace where a cat could hide. But every time, she pondered why the strange cat was following her. What reason could anyone have? And why do they never come out. Could someone just be trying to scare her or are they just waiting for the right moment?

Icefur pushed the thought aside and went back to focusing on the border patrol.

As they walked past the Riverclan border, the patrol stopped by the gorge to re-scent the border. While some of the warriors did that, Icefur looked out at the river and saw something strange. She was a cat, probably a kit, jump over the river in the distance. It was where the river was shallow and the cat began walking down the border on Windclan territory, heading for the forest.

"I'll be right back," she said to the others and ran after the kit. Since it was just a kit, she wasn't to go alone.

Icefur came up to the cat, making sure not to go in too fast so she didn't scare the kit.

The kit had light blue fur and she smelled over Riverclan.

"Hello," Icefur started with a smile. The kit turned to her.

"What do you want?" She asked with a hint of fear in her voice.

"I want to know what you're doing on Windclan land," Icefur said calmly.

"I'm running away."

"What?" Icefur was shocked. The kit was from Riverclan and she was running away? She never heard of such a thing. The cat looked about six moons old too.

"What's your name?" Icefur asked.

"Streamkit." Icefur faintly remembered the name Stream kit being mentioned at a gathering a long time ago.

"My name is Icefur," she told her. "Why are you running away from your home and your family?"

"I hardly have a family anymore. My sister Frostkit is sick and my father Rainpelt died in the fight," Streamkit told her mournfully. "I don't like the fighting. I saw it and it was awful! I never want to see cats fight again. So I'm leaving the clans."

Icefur laid down to level with the kit and spoke softly to her. She understood the pain and knew what Streamkit was afraid of. "You know, I lost both my parents as a kit to dogs. It was hard and I was so depressed. But I had my sister. She helped me through it. She had my back and I had hers. Even when you lose someone you love, you're never alone," Icefur told her and smiled. Streamkit knew Icefur understood.

"I would miss Frostkit," the Riverclan kit muttered. She probably didn't think about how much she would miss her sister if she left.

"Even if you're father isn't sleeping in the camp every night, he's still with you. The whole clan is your family. Imagine how they would feel if you left."

Streamkti thought about it for a moment. "I guess they would feel as bad as I do about losing Rainpelt…" Icefur nodded and smiled. "You're right," Streamkit continued. "I can't leave my family."

"Then you better hurry back before they get worried." Streamkit nodded and smiled. "As for the fights, its just a way of life, apparently. But those who are lost are never really gone."

"Thank you Icefur," the kit said. Icefur stood up and the kit turned and ran back into her territory. Icefur turned around to go back to the patrol but she was startled when she saw Hollytail standing behind her.

"That was very nice," the deputy said. Icefur didn't notice she was listening to the whole thing.

Icefur, feeling very good about what she did, walked back to the group with Hollytail and they all continued the border patrol together.

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**A/N: I am sorry I took so long to write this. I have had less computer time then I though… But I haven't forgotten about this. I will finish this story if it's the last thing I do! (Which I hope it wont be cuz' I still have to write the sequel.)**

**By the way, the prophecy won't take affect until near the end of this story and it will go through the sequel. Just giving you a heads up.**

**We are basically at the edge of my 'event'. It's right around the corner. ^-^ Yay.**

**Hope you liked the chapter, please leave a review and have a nice day~**


	32. The Return

_Chapter 32_

A few days have passed and the weather has been getting noticeable better. The prey is returning which is a good signs to the clans that leaf-bare is just about over. The snow has almost finished melting away yet it remains cold in the forest and windy in the moor.

On the full moon, Icefur and the clan left camp to go to the gathering. Joining her way Ashstar, Hollytil, Heatherwish, Snowpelt, Mudwhisker, Leopardflower, Stonepaw, Maplepaw and Rockpaw. It was Maplepaws' and Rockpaws' first gathering and both were very excited.

Maplepaw walked next to her mentor and her brother and Snowpelt walked slightly ahead of them. On the way to Fourtrees, Icefur was bombed with questions about the gathering, the other clans, etcetera. She answered all of them calmly, remembering her first gathering.

It was easy for Icefur to see that her apprentice was being very open-minded. She was excited for the gathering, probably forgetting what has happened between the clans. An apprentice always dreams of their first gathering to be fun and exciting but the recent gathering could might-as-well be a battleground.

Windclan arrived at Fourtrees to see Thunderclan and Riverclan were already there. Shadowclan came soon after. The four clans mainly kept to themselves.

Not wanting to run into the group of Thunderclan cats, Icefur looked into the crowed in search for her friend Redshade but didn't see him. But she did notice how skinny the cats where. Before the leaders started talking, Icefur smiled when she saw Maplepaw and Rockpaw talking to some Riverclan warriors. Icefur walked over and joined them.

"Hi," she said when she joined the five cats.

"Hi Icefur," Maplepaw replied plainly.

Icefur turned to the three Riverclan warriors.

"I'm guessing you're Icefur," one of them said with a smile. "I'm Crookedstem and this is Sparkclaw and Silverheart." The tom, gestured to the others. Crookedstem was a brown tabby.

"Nice to meet you," the she-cat cat said. Silverheart had silver fur with black stripes.

Sparkclaw said nothing but nodded, agreeing with Silverheart. He had light brown fur and dark brown paws with some dark brown down his back and tail.

"How is Riverclan doing after the battle?" Icefur asked, trying to make small talk.

"We're fine, I suppose," Silverheart said but she sounded unsure. "We'll be fine. How is Windclan?"

Before Icefur could respond, the leaders began to speak.

"Greetings cats of all clans," the Riverclan leader, Featherstar started. "I will begin the gathering."

"As new-leaf comes right around the corner, the prey begins to return as well and we are thankful for this. Unfortunately, in the recent attack on Riverclan, one of our warriors, Rainpelt was killed along with an elder, Spottedstream. We will mourn both of them." Featherstar waited respectfully after announcing the deaths before continuing.

"Days ago, two kits have reached their sixed moon and are now apprentices. Their names are Frostpaw and Streampaw."

Icefur remembered a few days ago when she met Streampaw by the border. She was glad the she-cat got her apprentice name and glad she stopped her from running away.

"Frostpaw, Streampaw!"

Featherstar stepped back, signaling she was done. Ashstar stepped up to speak next.

"When Windclan came to assist Riverclan in the battle, out deputy Gravelstone was blinded and joined the elders because of the injury. He is now resting peacefully. Hollytail took his place as deputy of Windclan." Mummers of congratulations where heard through the forest but only from Windclan and Riverclan. "We have had trouble at the borders as usual but we already know that," he continued with a small scowl.

Icefur was unsure if Ashstar was finished before Hawkstar stepped up, wanting to speak next. Ashstar stepped back, not wanting to start a pointless argument with him. He didn't seem in the mood.

"I could go on about the prey or the clan but I have something much more important to say first," the Thunderclan leader said. Icefur looked around the crowd of cats and most of them looked somewhat confused but no one spoke out. "We ask that Riverclan gives up Sunningrocks to us."

These few words were able to create uproar through Riverclan and many Windclan cats gasped in surprise. Icefur knew Hawkstar liked to get straight to the point when it comes to making bold statements but she never expected this.

"How dare you ask such a thing?" Featherstar exclaimed with anger. "What makes you think we will just give you part of our rightful territory?!"

"Riverclan has had Sunningrocks for far too long. It makes so much more sense to have the border at the river instead on our land," Hawkstar said calmly. "Besides; because of our recent attack, Riverclan has grown weak. You can't last many more attacks but Thunderclan is still as strong as ever. So I figured it would only be fair to spare some blood and give you the chance to make the wise choice. Or is territory more important then the wellbeing of your warriors?"

The rage in Featherstars' eyes was clear for everyone to see but she managed to keep cool. "You make such a request and call us weak? You're either very brave or a coward! You only threaten me like this because Thunderclan isn't as strong as you say." The Riverclan cats below were cheering their leader on, agreeing with every word. Windclan and Shadowclan seemed to also take sides.

Hawkstar narrowed his eyes. "I try to be merciful but odiously you're to arrogant to except the truth." Hawkstar was going to keep talking but Featherstar cut him off. "We don't want your 'mercy' nor do we need it. Riverclan is not as weak as you think. And for believing otherwise, you are a fool."

"Then perhaps you'd like to prove it!"

Icefur looked down at her apprentice. Maplepaw's excitement had completely vanished and was replaced with fear. She wasn't expecting her first gathering to be anything like this.

Seconds after Icefur looked at Maplepaw, the looked back up at the leaders when she heard hissing and growling. Featherstar and Hawkstar began fighting on Fourtrees. Rather then just watching, Riverclan and Thunderclan began fighting each other below. It didn't take long for Windclan and Shadowclan to get involved as well.

Every cat that came seemed to be invested in the fight.

"Icefur, what do we do?" Maplepaw asked her mentor franticly, afraid of getting hurt in the mess of cats. Everything moved so quickly in the heat of battle.

Icefur looked up at the sky and saw clouds quickly roll in, covering the moon. "We have to get out of here!" She said above the noise.

Other cats also noticed the sign from Starclan and began to flee. They were leaving Fourtrees in all directions to go back to their camps. Icefur dashed through the fighting cats, trying to get out of Fourtrees with Maplepaw following closely behind. Before she could escape, Icefur was thrown off her paws by a Shadowclan cat. She recognized the tom to be Leopardfang, a cat she fought a long time ago.

Pinning her down, Icefur kicked at the warriors' belly, trying to shove him off. Leopardfang was bigger then she was and it was difficult to break free before he lashed at her. When she freed herself, Icefur considered to keep running but she didn't want to look like a coward.

The white she-cat tackled him, attempting to pin him down like he did to her. But he twisted around before landing on his back and landed on his side instead along with Icefur. Before getting up, she swung her claw at Leopardfang who was lying next to her and slashed his belly. He yowled in pain and struggled to stand up.

She got up quickled and came in to pin him down again. He took her by surprise when the Shadowclan cat quickly dodged her and pinned her down instead. His paws were pushing hers against the ground and Icefur was unable to claw or kick him.

He barred his teeth and came in to bite her on the throat. She flinched but just before she thought it was over, the weight of Leopardfang was taken off her when Maplepaw pounced on his back and latched on. He jumped back and tried to shake her off.

Icefur stood back up, grateful for her apprentice coming to the rescue. She ran forward and raked her claws against his legs.

Maplepaw jumped off before she was thrown off, giving the Shadowclan warrior to notice his surroundings. Most of the cats have already left. He unwisely looked around Fourtrees for a brief moment and during that time; Icefur decided it was time to leave before she got more hurt. Most of Windclan was already gone anyway.

She and Maplepaw ran into the forest and quickly reached the moor. They both sighed with relief, happy to be back in their own territory.

The other Windclan cats waited at the edge of the forest for any other cat to join them so they could return to camp together.

Icefur sat down with the others and looked up at the sky. The full moon was still covered in clouds but other then that, most of the night sky was filled with stars. She was disappointed the clans had to end the gathering in such a way.

When the last of the warriors joined them, Windclan headed back to camp. No clan won the small battle but they all felt defeated and tired. She found Snowpelt and Rockpaw so she and Maplepaw walked over to join them.

"Hey," she said plainly to the light grey tom.

"Hi," he sighed. "Too bad our apprentices first gathering turned into a fight."

"Yeah," she said with a nod. "But it's over now. All I want to do now is get some sleep." She tried to be optimistic for Maplepaw.

Icefur looked behind her to see Maplepaw and Rockpaw talking. Hey spoke quietly and she was unable to make out what they said, not like she was trying to. But they both looked upset. No cat should fight during a gathering: the one night for peace.

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When Icefur woke up the next morning, she was trying to forget about the other night so she could focus on the day. But she couldn't help but wonder if nothing was happening over at Sunningrocks.

She stood up and saw most of the warriors in the area have already gotten up. Only a few were still in their nests.

Icefur walked into the center of camp and was pleased to see life was moving on a usual for everyone. She went over to the fresh-kill pile and grabbed a rabbit, quickly eating it afterwards.

She was about to find Maplepaw so they could go training, but Hollytail walked up to her before she could.

"Good morning," she said cheerfully to the deputy.

"Good morning. Would you like to lead the patrol?" Hollytail asked her.

"Sure. I'll go get Maplepaw." Icefur took a step to the side, about to run and get her apprentice but Hollytail stopped her.

"Actually," she said quickly. "The elders need new bedding."

"Alright, I'll get her to do that then."

"Great. And I would like to come on your patrol," Hollytail continued. This surprised Icefur but she didn't question the deputy.

"Okay. I'll get some other warriors to join us," Icefur said. Hollytail nodded and walked off.

Icefur wandered around the camp and got Bramblestripe, Sunclaw and Stormtooth to come along. They all gathered together at the camp entrence before heading out.

"Let's start with the Riverclan border and go up," Icefur told the warriors and the five of them walked up the river. She was curious to see if she would meet another Riverclan kit trying to cross the border.

Icefur assumed she just had a good night's sleep for she felt pretty confident. She wasn't sure why, but she just felt refreshed and ready for anything. Aside of them, she also noticed Hollytail was watching closely. Icefur could just be imagining it though.

After checking the scent markers, they traveled up the river until Fourtrees was in view and Icefur was quickly reminded of the night before. She sighed, knowing more battled between the clans was sure to come.

Once they reached the end of the Riverclan border, they turned and started going down the Shadowclan border. Thinking about her scuffle with the Shadowclan warrior, she and the others watched the border extra closely incase and Shadowclan cats appeared.

When they reached the end of the border, Icefur turned to the patrol. "So far so good," she started. "Lets finish the last border and head back to camp." She tried to speak with an upbeat attitude to get more energy into the cats that followed her. It seemed to have worked a little and they all nodded. Before they could keep going, the deputy spoke up.

"You can go ahead and want to check out the Shadowclan border one more time just incase," Hollytail said.

"Alright," Icefur replied. "I'll see you back at camp." Hollytail nodded and the patrol began walking down the border. Hollytail swiftly moved up to the warrior in the back of the group, Sunclaw. The others walked ahead.

"When you get back to camp, I need you to tell something to Ashstar for me," Hollytail told him.

"Okay," the golden tom replied.

"Tell him 'she is acting as you suspected.' Please don't ask any questioned."

Sunclaw tilted his head, wondering what she meant but didn't argue. He nodded and ran ahead to join the patrol again.

Ashstar wanted Hollytail to join Icefurs' patrol to see how she would act. He suspected she would act confidently; like a leader. And he was right. She didn't want to keep the leader waiting but Hollytail really wanted to check out the Shadowclan border again. She knew Ashstar would understand.

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Hollytail walked along the border through the small area of trees that's on their land. She watched as the Monsters on the Thunderpath roared by. She was sure to keep a distance away though; she never liked being up close to the Thunderpth.

She felt perfectly calm, yet alert. Hollytail always enjoyed her time alone.

The peace broke when she got close to the border near Fourtrees and heard rustling deeper in the forest. Not wanting to cross the border, she focused on the area, trying to see what moved.

She was currently between the Shadowclan and Thunderclan border. Hollytail silently gasped when she saw a head pop out of a bush. There was a cat in the forest. She was unable to tell which clan the cat was from because of the mixed scents in the area and the fact that the cat was between the two borders.

"Who are you?" She called. The cat just stared at her with its eyes glowing in the shadows. The cat walked back a bit so it was even harder to see who it was.

She wasn't sure but the cat seemed to want her to come closer. Against he better judgment, she crept deeper inside the forest. Fourtrees was very close.

The cat waited for her and she moved in closer. She stopped about two fox lengths away, not wanting to get too close.

That's when the cat stepped into the light that slid out between the trees. Hollytail was shocked with disbelieve. She recognized him but she hasn't seen the tom for a very long time.

"It's impossible," she whispered. "You're not supposed to be here."

"But I am here," he replied with a voice that sent shivers down her spine.

Hollytail recovered her courage and replied. "Mark my words, Ashstar will hear about this. He will know you're here and he wont be merciful like last time."

The cat chuckled darkly. "You give him too much credit. And you wont tell him I'm back. I wont give you the chance."

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**A/N: Welcome to the 'event'! Yes, it has begun. It only gets better from here!**

**I'm sorry I took so long to update but I have been sick and lost the energy to do anything. x_x Anyway, I hope to update more often now that things will start to pick up.**

**Thanks for reading and have a nice day! =D**

**(Please review your thoughts. I'd love to know.)**


	33. Secrets Revealed

_Chapter 33_

The next morning was cold and breezy but the air was dry. There were a few white clouds in the sky.

Ashstar started the day by walking into Heatherwishs' den. He wanted to talk to the medicine cat about the prophecy.

"Hello Ashstar," Heatherwish welcomed when she saw the grey tom walk into the den.

"Hello," he replied and sat near the entrance.

"You obviously have something on your mind," she said to him. Ashstar smiled. They knew each other so well.

"I was thinking about the prophecy again-" Heatherwish cut him off. "We already decided to wait for something to happen. You're only stressing yourself."

"I know, I know. But I think we shouldn't keep this just between you and I," he said, glancing outside to make sure no one else was listening.

"Who else needs to know?"

"I was going to tell Gravelstone about it before he got blinded. I figured the deputy should know about it too. But now that Hollytail is deputy, I see no reason as to why I shouldn't tell her," Ashstar explained calmly. He knew he was the leader and didn't need to ask anyone about his decisions, but it's different when it comes to a medicine cat and a prophecy.

"So what makes you think the deputy needs to know anyway?" Heatherwish asked the leader.

"With one more cat thinking about it, perhaps we can get closer to solving it's meaning when the time comes."

Heatherwish pondered this for a moment. "Alright, you do what you want."

Ahstar smiled and walked out of the den to find Hollytail.

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Icefur woke up in her nest thankful it wasn't snowing. Leaf-bare always seemed like the longest season of them all because it was the most difficult: Especially for Windclan. They didn't have a forest to protect them or a river to rely on.

Icefur walked into the middle of camp, happy to see it as alive as ever. The apprentices (that were awake) were seen running in an out of the elders' den and the warriors were everywhere else. She saw her friends, Breezetail and Rowanpelt, talking by the fresh-kill pile and Bramblestripe was just coming back from the dawn patrol. Icefur also spotted Flowerfrost and Blackspot deep in conversation.

The she-cat first thought the day started just as any other. But then she noticed someone was missing. Then it hit her; Hollytail. Did the deputy ever return from the patrol? Now that Icefur began thinking about it, she hasn't seen her since.

She saw the Windclan leader walking through camp and ran up to him. "Have you seen Hollytail?" She asked him, trying not to alarm anyone.

"No I haven't," he answered, not knowing anything was wrong. "But tell me if you see her."

Icefur nodded and calmly walked away to scan the camp. No sign of the deputy. She began to get worried. This was not how she wanted to start her morning.

She last saw Hollytail doing an extra patrol over the border with Shadowclan. Was it possible they captured her to use for blackmail like Thunderclan once tried to do? Or did something, or something, get to her first?

These thoughts were just getting on Icefurs' nerves. She knew she needed to find out what happened to the deputy as soon as possible.

Icefur ran for the camp entrance but stopped herself a tail length away. If Hollytail was really in any danger, Icefur might need some help in order to save her.

She turned back to the camp and looked for anyone who could help. Before she could pick anyone out, Breezetail walked up from behind her.

"Good morning," he said with an unusually cheery attitude. "You seem concerned about something."

"I am. Hollytail never returned from the patrol yesterday. I think something happened to her." She was glad the tom came up to her when he did.

"Oh. Anyway I can help?"

"Yeah. I was just about to go looking for her but I figured I should bring someone with me; just in case."

"Alright, then let's go." Breezetail seemed to agree to go with Icefur without giving it second thoughts. Or even a first though. But she wasn't about to complain.

The two warriors set out of camp and headed straight for the Shadowclan border. They didn't rush in case Hollytail was out somewhere in the territory.

"So what do you suppose happened to her?" Breezetail asked as they walked through the windy moor.

"I'm not quite sure," Icefur meowed. "She could have been captured by Shadowclan but that's only idea I have so far."

"Well I hope we find her."

They stopped walking once they reached the Shadowclan border. They were also very close to Fourtrees and Riverclan. Breezetail stared into the forest, listening to the Monsters in the distance.

"If she was captured by Shadowclan, what should we do? Go in there after her?" He asked the white she-cat.

"I don't know. We need proof that they took her but… I don't want to just sneak into another clans' territory." Icefur knew as well as any cat that anything could go wrong when in enemy territory.

"Why not?" Breezetail asked. "You've done it before; twice." He was referring back to when Icefur and Flowerfrost went into Thunderclan land to rescue Nightpaw.

"That was different. We actually knew Thunderclan had Nightpaw. This time, we know nothing," Icefur admitted with a sigh.

"Wrong; we know she's missing. And we have to find her." Icefur turned to Breezetail and nodded.

"Lets just start by doing what she did yesterday. Let's walk around the border and see if there's anything to see."

Icefur and Breezetail started by walking over to the edge of the Shadowclan border, next to Riverclan. They saw nothing particularly suspicious and turned the other way. They started heading towards the other edge of the border.

As she walking, Icefur found the whole situation to be so strange. They knew Hollytail hasn't returned to camp but there was no trace of her. Not even a single blade of grass seemed out of place. Not yet, anyway.

They kept walking through the small area of trees next to the Thunderpath. They both felt a little too close to the path for their liking but that didn't matter.

As Icefur and Breezetail neared the edge of the border once again, they started to notice the dried up grass looked different then it did farther back. It looked freshly squished as if someone was running. Then they spotted something more unsettling. A vague path of dried up blood, which swerved around many trees and just stopped behind a single tree.

Icefur and Breezetail glanced at each other when they noticed this, afraid of what they might see at the end of the trail. But they followed it anyway until they reached the last tree. After walking around it, Icefur gasped when they saw Hollytail, lying in a small pool of blood at the base of the tree, injured and defeated.

"Hollytail!" Icefur exclaimed when she saw the deputy. She ran to her side and tried to nudge her awake. She sighed in relief when she noticed Hollytail was still alive. She was covered with many bad looking scratches and her own blood.

"Wake up," Breezetail urged when he joined Icefur.

Hollytail opened her eyes and looked up at the warriors.

"Hollytail, who did this to you?" Breezetail asked, still astonished over her appearance.

"He- he's back," the deputy muttered.

"Who? Who's back?"

Before Hollytail could answer, her head fell back onto the ground and closed her eyes.

"She's still breathing," Icefur pointed out. "We have to get her back to camp!"

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It was Sunhigh when Icefur and Breezetail careful yet hastily carried the unconscious deputy back to camp and into Heatherwish's den. Ashstar and Nightpaw were in there with them.

"This is madness," Ashstar muttered when Icefur and Breezetail set Hollytail down into a nest. Heatherwish and Nightpaw started working on her wounds the moment she entered the den.

"Get some poppy seeds for when she wakes up," the medicine cat said to Nightpaw. Icefur knew the use of very few herbs Heatherwish shouted out.

"How did this happen?" Ashstar asked the warriors as they all sat around the deputy.

"We aren't sure," Icefur replied. "We just found her like this."

"But when she first woke up, she said 'he's back' then fell asleep," Breezetail added.

"I wonder who she was talking about." Ashstar whispered this to himself. "We can only wait until she wakes up. Will she wake up?" Ashstar turned to Heatherwish.

"Honestly, I can't be sure. She's awfully beat up. Hollytail lost a lot of blood and energy; she'll need both if she's going to heal," the medicine cat said as she padded down some cobwebs on the she-cats clawed-up pelt.

The den suddenly became silent. The only noise that was heard was the wind blowing through the moor and the faint voices of the cats outside. Then Ashstar randomly turned to the warriors.

"So you two knew Hollytail was missing all this time?"

Icefur suddenly felt awkward when he asked the question. "Uh, well… yeah. I thought we could search for her and keep the whole thing quiet. I didn't want anyone to worry if it was unnecessary," Icefur tried to explain. She didn't want the leader to be mad at her.

Ashstar shook his head and sighed. Icefur thought about it for a moment and decided she should have told Ashstar at least.

"I'm sorry," she added. "I should have told you." She looked down at her paws, unable to look at Ashstar in the eyes.

"It's fine," Ashstar said, surprising the she-cat. "Either way, Hollytail would still be sitting her in the end. We can't dwell in the past at times like these." Icefur looked up again. Ashstar was looking the other way now and talking to the medicine cat but she still felt better.

"So what now?" Breezetail asked, breaking in.

"You two need to continue with your warrior duties. There is nothing you can do for Hollytail now," Heatherwish told them.

The understood and reluctantly walked out.

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When Icefur and Breezetail walked out of the medicine cat den, Bramblestripe and Rowanpelt immediately saw them and rushed forward. They wanted to know what happened.

They sat together at the edge of camp. Breezetail told them that they weren't sure if Hollytail would survive and they knew nothing of how she got hurt.

The four of them were all upset and gloomy over what has happened. And even more so knowing there was nothing they could do to help.

"Hollytail is in the paws of Starclan now," Rowanpelt muttered. Even he didn't have his usual calm and relaxed expression.

No one spoke for what seemed like a really long time. They only slightly perked up when Bramblestripe suggested they go hunting. Icefur, Bramblestripe, Breezetail and Rowanpelt all agreed they needed to occupy themselves instead of worrying.

As they walked out of camp together, each of the four cats where giving a silent prayer to Starclan, hoping Hollytail will be all right.

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Ashstar was waiting outside the medicine cat den for news about Hollytail. Heatherwish didn't want anyone to linger around when they could be doing something useful, but Ashstar didn't have anything he _had _to be doing at the moment.

The sun was just starting to go down when Heatherwish approached the leader. "She's awake," she said calmly, not giving anything away. "And she wants to talk to you."

Ashstar, feeling more hopeful, walked into the den. Hollytail was indeed awake but she still looked like a mess.

"It's amazing she's awake already," Heatherwish told the leader as she followed him inside. "She's likely to fall asleep again soon." Heatherwish and Nightpaw walked out of the den, giving the leader and deputy some time to talk.

"How are you feeling?" Ashstar asked Hollytail when he sat down by the nest.

"I'm not quite sure," Hollytail admitted. Her voice was weak and shaky. Ashstar didn't understand what she meant but didn't question it.

Before he could say anything to make her feel better, Hollytail spoke up. "Look Ashstar; Starclan tested me and I failed."

"What do you mean?" The leader asked. "You haven't failed."

"I know I'm going to Starclan soon," the deputy muttered after coughing a few times.

"Don't talk like that."

"But I know it. I can already feel it. But Starclan let me wake before that happens so I can tell you something," Hollytail told him. She was serious and looked at the leader straight in the eye.

"You'll have to choose a new deputy. You have to choose Icefur."

This startled Ashstar. He didn't want to argue with the dying she-cat but… "Icefur? But she's so young; so inexperienced. She's not ready to become a deputy."

"I have faith in her, Ashstar. You should too. Icefur has what it takes."

"Why do you think she can handle it?" Ashstar asked, making sure to keep calm.

"Her life has been hard… She's handled everything life has thrown at her. I believe she'll be able to do what's best for the clan."

Ashstar knew Icefur was a good warrior but he truly felt it was too soon. But he looked into Hollytails' eyes and could see how strongly she believed it.

Hollyail paused and coughed again before adding on. "Icefur will make an excellent deputy." Hollytail coughed a few more times before laying her head on the nest.

"Oh Hollytail," Ashstar muttered. He waited a moment before realizing something was wrong. "Hollytail?"

He stood up and moved in closer to her. Ashstar sighed; she was dead.

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"All cat's old enough to catch their own prey, join beneath the Tallrock for a clan meeting." Ashstar called the meeting after telling Heatherwish what happened but he didn't say what she told him before dying. As the cats gathered, he spotted four more cats just enter camp with their jaws full of prey. It was Icefur, Bramblestripe, Breezetail and Rowanpelt.

"I regret to say that Hollytail had just joined Starclan." He paused as the cats below asked questions, etcetera. He was only able to slightly hide the grief in his voice. "She was only deputy for a short time and will miss her. But as leader, I must choose a new deputy to take her place before moonhigh." He looked up at the sky. The sun was still just going down.

"I say these words before Starclan so the spirit of Hollytail may hear and approve my choice. The new deputy of Windclan will be Icefur." Ashstar still thought Icefur was too young and he would personally choose a senior warrior instead. But he felt like he had to honor Hollytails' dying wish. If she believed Icefur was right for the job, he respected that.

Icefur, below the Tallrock with the other warriors, was stunned. He didn't expect to be chosen to be deputy and it came to a total shock to her. Her friends had to nudge her along so she could jump onto the Tallrock and accept the role.

"T-Thank you, Ashstar. I wasn't expecting this," Icefur said. She looked over the rest of the clan below. "I promise to do whatever it takes to serve the clan in the best way possible." She was just saying the words off of the top of her head but they were all true.

"Icefur, Icefur!" The clan cheered. Something inside Icefur told her that there were warriors below her that thought they should have been chosen instead, but she tried to brush the thought aside.

Icefur jumped down and Ashstar dismissed the meeting. Her friends and many other cats ran up to her the moment the meeting was over.

"I can't believe you're deputy!" Bramblestripe exclaimed.

"Congratulations," Breezetail said cheerfully.

Icefur heard complements like that for a while before she had to start acting like a deputy and ordering patrols and such.

But really, Icefur wasn't sure she wanted to be deputy. She was still the newest warrior in the clan and hardly got any time to enjoy it. And now, she was made deputy. It was a lot to take in.

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Icefur spent the rest of the day struggling to organize patrols and hunting parties. She felt like she had no idea how to be a deputy. She was only doing what she saw Hollytail and Gravelstone do before her. And Icefur could tell the other warriors knew she felt lost.

When the sun was down and the moon was rising, Icefur left the camp to get some time alone.

For so long, she felt like her life has been rushed. When her parents died, she had to grow up fast. She was given an apprentice not long after she got her warrior name and all of a sudden, she was the deputy of Windclan. Why did Ashstar believe in her more then she believed in herself?

Icefur pondered these thoughts as she walked across the moor. She wasn't heading anywhere, just going straight.

There was a light breeze and the sky was getting darker and darker but the stars still shined bright.

When Icefur reached the edge of the border, she paused. Though she couldn't see it, she was facing Fourtrees. She was about to turn around but stopped when she heard something in the bushes ahead of her.

She looked deep inside the forest and saw a figure. It was cat.

"Icefur," the cat whispered. Strangely, she couldn't really get a sense of what the voice sounded like. She considered the possibilities; the cat could be Redshade or maybe his sister. Either way, the voice wasn't threatening or anything like that.

She took a deep breath and walked forward to the cat, knowing she should have ran away instead. The cat was motionless and she moves in closer and closer, trying to see the cats face.

Icefur had no idea she was making the same decisions that got Hollytail killed.

She stopped about a fox length away. The cat surrounded by shadows took a step forward, revealing to the she-cat who he really was.

But it was impossible! Icefur knew the cat and looked at him with shock and disbelief. She hasn't seen him for a very long time and thought he was dead. But standing right in front of her was her father, Shadowthorn.

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**A/N: What's this? Didn't he die? Oh my goodness, I don't understand!**

**Don't worry, everything will be explained in the next chapter. I know you must all hate me for making such and large cliff hanger but I'll get the next chapter up soon enough. xD And by the way, I slightly think I'm rushing this, making Icefur deputy and all. But at chapter 33, I think I've waited long enough. The sequel wont be skipping moons like this story does.  
**

**And perhaps I could have added more 'drama' or whatever in Hollytails' death, but I just wanted to get to the point.  
**

**I think the ending was pretty intense. What do you think? any theories? I'd love to hear them. =D  
**

**Thanks for reading and please review!  
**

**Have a nice day~  
**


	34. The Truth

_Chapter 34_

It seemed impossible. It _was _impossible! But there he was, standing right in front of Icefur.

It was almost moonhigh when Shadowthorn appeared. A gentle wind blew threw the forest as Icefur stood in front of her father. She remembered the day he 'died' so clearly. She was certain the dogs killed him so long ago. So how did he make it to the forest?

Icefur briefly thought the stress of becoming deputy was so heavy, she was imagining cats now. But that couldn't be it. He was definitely alive.

She wasn't sure to be happy that he was there, or afraid. She opened her mouth to say something but nothing came out. She was too confused and dumbfounded to say anything.

The brown and back cat noticed this and spoke first. "I know you must be surprised to see me," he answered. It was so long since Icefur heard his voice, it almost didn't sound real. "I've been trying to talk to you for a while now."

Icefur was still frozen to the spot. Something inside her told her to run as fast as she could back to camp and tell everyone he was alive but something else told her to talk to him.

Her father was alive! She should be overjoyed but the surprise of seeing him countered that. "I… I don't understand," she managed to mutter softly.

"Let me explain," Shadowthorn said quickly. "The day the dogs attacked, I wasn't killed by them. I fell unconscious because the loss of blood. I woke up a while later to see Lilly was dead and you and Cloudy where gone. I knew you must have came to Windclan so I rested at the barn before coming to find you."

Cloudy. Icefur hasn't heard that in a while either.

"I've been waiting for moons, trying to find you alone to I could show you I came after you but you seemed to never go anywhere alone."

Then it struck her; Shadowthorn was the cat who was following Icefur for so long. The one who has appeared a number of times but never came out of hiding. "It was you?" she whispered again.

Shadowthorn nodded. "I'm sorry if I scared you." He had the concerned expression that Icefur missed so much since she was a kit. She didn't want to be afraid that he was alive anymore.

She walked up closer to her father, now smiling. "I'm so glad you're alive," she told him, looking up into his eyes. "But how did you know my name is Icefur now?"

Shadowthorn smiled back. "I heard a few cats call you that during patrols."

Icefur nodded and Shadowthorn changed the topic. "So how is your sister doing?"

Her smile faded. She hated having to tell him the words but it had to be done. "… She died. A few moons ago… The night we became warriors."

Before he spoke, another cold breeze blew through the forest. "I see," he said sadly. "So she's in Starclan now… What was her name?" Icefur understood why he wanted to know.

"Her warrior name was Cloudheart. She died saving the medicine cat apprentice."

The brown and black tom looked up at the starry sky. "How noble." He looked back at Icefur. "So how are you doing in the clan?"

"Well, I became deputy earlier today," she replied, wondering how he would react.

"Deputy!" He exclaimed sounding impressed. "Very nice. What happened to the last one?"

"She was attacked and died in camp," Icefur said, remembering the moment.

Shadowthorn didn't reply. He just nodded and looked off somewhere into the forest. Icefur waited a moment, not sure what else to say but he suddenly turned back to the white she-cat.

"You should go back to camp," he told her. "So no one starts to worry about you. Could you come back here the night after tomorrow?"

Icefur smiled and nodded. "Alright," she took a few steps back, about to turn around and go back to camp.

"And don't tell anyone you saw me yet."

"Okay," she said wondering why but didn't question. She looked at her father one more time before running back to camp.

As Icefur ran back, she wished she expressed her happiness to see him better. It has been so long since she saw Shadowthorn. She sighed and told herself to show her joy next time.

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When Icefur woke up the next morning, she only had enough time to stand up before cats started coming up to her asking things like "can I go on the border patrol? Who else is going? Who's leading? We're going hunting, okay?"

She somehow managed to answer them all and give herself enough time to walk over to the fresh-kill pile and grab a rabbit.

The morning was not as cold as the night before. There was barely any wind and a few white clouds in the sky: a very peaceful time. At least, it would be if Icefur didn't have so much to worry about.

She sat down in a small patch of grass to eat. While she ate the rabbit, she thought back to the night before and a question popped into her mind. Why did Shadowthorn not want anyone to know he was alive? Didn't he want to talk to his old clanmates?"

Icefur pondered this and realized something else. She never told any of her friends that Shadowthorn was her father. Surly they would have heard about them since he knew their parents. Suddenly she wanted to tell someone for some reason.

Icefur spotted Snowpelt walking past her. "Hey Snowpelt," she said, calling him over.

The light warrior bounded over casually. "Hey Icefur. What's up?"

She was about to say 'did you know Shadowthorn was my father?' but something stopped her. She decided to ask something else first. "What do you know about Shadowthorn?"

"Oh, I'm not aloud to talk about him. Sorry." Icefur was taken back by this. Why wouldn't he be aloud to talk about him? "Why not?"

"I don't know," he answered calmly. "We just aren't."

Icefur narrowed her eyes. She wasn't satisfied with the answer. But apparently Snowpelt was because after replying, he kept walking. Something was going on that no one bothered to tell her. Icefur knew she had to find out what it. She had to investigate.

Icefur finished the rabbit she was eating and saw her friends, Breezetail and Bramblestripe. She ran up to them.

"Hey guys," she said when she reached them.

"Hi," Bramblestripe said.

"Whats up?" Breezetail smiled at her.

"What do you guys know about Shadowthorn?" She wanted to get straight to the point.

The brother and sister glanced at each other nervously then back at Icefur.

"Uh, nothing. We don't know anything about him," Bramblestripe said awkwardly. Icefur knew she was lying.

She narrowed her eyes in annoyance. "Oh quit it. I know you know who I'm talking about."

"Sorry Icefur," Breezetail said. "We can't talk about him. The two left before Icefur could ask anything else.

Icefur was irritated now. Why could no one talk about Shadowthorn? She knew it was probably because Ashstar said something to the clan. She thought about going to him and asking but she had a feeling it wouldn't work anyway.

The stood in the center of camp, wondering who she should go to next. She glanced around the camp with hopes of getting an idea. She saw the elders and was reminded how elders always enjoyed telling stories. Perhaps they wouldn't remember that Ashstar doesn't want anyone talking about Shadowthorn.

She started walking towards the elders' den but stopped when she remembered Gravelstone was inside as well. He was still young; there was no way the former deputy would forget about Ashstars' orders.

She sighed and looked around the camp again. She couldn't think of anyone who would tell her the truth. Icefur wanted to believe Shadowthorn left the clan on his own will to be with the loner, Lilly, but she wanted to hear the clans side of the story as well.

But if her closest friends wouldn't even tell her anything, she started to doubt anyone in the clan would. Then an idea popped into her mind: maybe not in Windclan, but maybe someone in another clan; someone like Redshade.

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Icefur had to wait a while before leaving to talk to her friend in Thunderclan. She got occupied being the deputy. She set out some hunting parties and planned the next border patrol before leaving in case she would still be gone by the time it was suppose to set out.

When all of that was taken care of, she left camp when the sun started going down in hopes of finding Redshade somewhere near the border. On her way to the border, she whispered a prayer to Starclan to help her find him.

It was slightly windy as she made her way though the vast moor. She thought back to the night before when she take the same route before finding Shadowthorn. She wondered if she would run into him. As happy she was to see her father again, it would be a bad time.

She quickened her pace when she saw the forest drawing closer. Icefur never liked going in the forest for too long, but finding Redshade seemed more important at the moment.

Icefur ran into the forest and went straight for Fourtrees, not wanting to walk into any more territories then necessary.

She paused when she reached the clearing of Fourtrees. It was strange to be there without everyone else. When she walked through the center of it, she had a strange feeling someone was going to jump out and attack her. But Icefur knew she was just making things up.

She walked quickly through Fourtrees and stopped again when she got to the border with Thunderclan. Looking into the deeper part of the forest, she really didn't want to step inside. Icefur knew she had to find Redshade, but her cowardness got the better of her and she decided to wait at the borders' edge for a while longer.

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Icefur woke with a start when she realized she fell asleep. She mentally clawed herself for doing something so stupid. It was only a miracle no Thunderclan cat found her yet.

She looked up at the sky to see the day was gone. The moon was high in the sky. She wondered how long exactly she had slept but was taken away from her thoughts when she heard a voice. She assumed the voice came from Thunderclans' night patrol. Being right on the border, they were bound to see her. Icefur hastily ran behind a tree. Still worried, she attempted to climb it. She hooked her claws into the tree and tried to pull herself off. It was the first time she tried climbing a fully-grown tree.

When the voices got louder, she knew the Thunderclan cats were close. The fear of being found gave her the strength she needed to get on the first branch of the tree. She sat down on the branch, surprised by how difficult it was for her to climb it. Thunderclan cats made it look so easy.

Icefur looked down and saw five cats appear from behind the other trees. She recognized them to be Thistlescar, Skypath, Fernpaw, Thornpaw and Redshade. Thisdtlescar appeared to be leading the patrol.

"Fernpetal and Thornear, go check over there," the Thunderclan deputy said to the two cats while gesturing in another direction with his tail. Icefur noticed Thornear was nicked in the ear, which looked like a v. She got the impression that the two new warriors probably got their name after the recent battle in Riverclan. Thornear was probably scarred during it.

The cats walked away, leaving Thistlescar, Skypath and Redshade under the tree Icefur was in.

"So where did you say you noticed the scent?" Thistlescar asked Skypath.

"Right around here," the she-cat said. Her fur was well groomed and she looked like a cheerful cat. It was strange seeing her next to Thistlescar who's' fur was unkempt and scarred.

"Well the cat couldn't have gotten that far," Redshade put in while looking around the area. "But we can't search in the other clans' territory."

"We don't have to," the deputy said. "If the intruder is in their land, it's not our problem."

Redshade nodded and the three cats started searching the area for any strange scents. Icefur knew they probably found Shadowthorns' scent and were looking for him.

She stared intensely at Redshade, hoping to draw his attention in her direction. She knew he wouldn't tell the others she was there. And to her luck it worked. Redshade scanned the trees and happen to see Icefur in one of them. He gasped and Thistlescar turned to him.

"What is it?" the deputy asked him.

"Uhh," Redshade hesitated for a moment. He made sure not to look back up at Icefur, knowing Thistlescar would follow his gaze. "I think I found a scent. Of the intruder… Over here," he added, pointing the other way from Icefur.

Thistlescar and Skypath ran in that direction.

Icefur climbed down the tree as stealthily as possible but with her inexperience in climbing trees, she didn't come down with much grace.

"What are you doing here?" Redshade whispered to her with a hint of panic in his voice.

"I need to ask you something," Icefur replied. "It's kind of important."

Redshade sighed. "Alright but after the patrol leaves. I'll meet you back here when I get them to go back to camp. You should go hide out in Fourtrees." Icefur nodded and ran back towards the four large trees.

Meanwhile, Redshade caught up with the others and Thornear and Fernpetal soon joined them.

"Sorry, false alarm," Redshade shrugged, knowing Thistlescar would be annoyed.

"We didn't find anything," Thornear told the deputy.

"Let's just go back to camp," Thistlescar groaned and the five started moving back the way they came.

"You guys go ahead," Redshade told them. "I'm going to hunt alone for a while." He made sure to speak in a way so the others would get he wanted to be alone. They understood and walked back to camp. Redshade waited a moment before running towards Fourtrees to find Icefur.

He stopped in the center of the area and looked around. He heard someone walk up behind and turned to see Icefur. "So what did you want to ask me?"

"Well I wanted to ask if you know anything about a former Windclan cat named Shadowthorn." She could tell Redshade recognized the name by looking into his eyes.

He tilted his head. "Why do you want to know about him? Can't you get someone in your own clan to tell you? Surely they could tell you more then I can," Redshade said in confusion.

"I tried but no one would tell me anything! They keep saying they aren't aloud to talk about him," Icefur sighed. "So I figured a cat in another clan would tell me if they wont."

She smiled at him, expecting him to tell her everything he knew but he remained silent. "Right?" She asked, starting to get worried.

He took a deep breath before talking. "Well… I don't think I should say anything."

"What!? You wont tell me?"

"I'm sorry Icefur, really. But if your own clan wont tell you about Shadowthorn, there is probably a pretty good reason for it," Redshade explained. He looked sincerely sorry and afraid of how Icefur would react.

Icefur opened her mouth to argue but realized Redshade was right. They wouldn't hide the truth from her if they didn't have a good reason for not wanting her to know.

"You're probably right," Icefur muttered. Redshade smiled slightly, glad she understood. "But it doesn't matter. I need to know what happened to him. It's really important to me."

Redshade sighed again. "Why? Why do you need to know about Shadowthorn of all cats? What does it have to do with you?"

Icefur froze. This was the moment she was dreading. Could she tell him Shadowthorn was her father? The uncertainty of his past made her hesitate if she should tell him. Icefur believed it was probably safer not to tell anyone until she knows the truth for sure.

"I'm sorry. I can't tell you," Icefur muttered. She wanted to let him know but…

Redshades' ears dropped in disappointment. "You don't trust me?"

"No I do," Icefur insisted. "I just don't think I should tell anyone yet… I'll tell you one day; I promise."

This seemed good enough for him. "Alright. What are you going to do now?"

Icefur thought about it for a moment and got a good idea. "It's time for a family visit."

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After Icefur left Redshade and Thunderclan behind her, she headed back into Windclan land but stayed near the border with Shadowclan. It was moonhigh when she reached the Thunderpath. Icefur was going to the moonstone to ask the cats who definitely know that truth about Shadowthorn. She was going to ask Cloudheart.

If the situation wasn't so serious, she was be really excited to see her sister. She knew the Starclan cat knew what happened to their father and if any cat in the forest or Starclan would tell her, it had to be her sister.

Icefur crossed the Thunderpath with little difficulty. Only a few Monsters passed through and she was about to run across while none were in sight.

Trying to ignore the harsh scent of Shadowclan, Icefur hurried up the hill. Mothermouth got closer and closer until she stood at its entrance.

Icefur still didn't like going inside the cave because of its endless darkness and it always seemed unnaturally cold inside. She forced herself to ignore her fears and walk inside.

She remembered what Ashstar told her the first time she came inside the cave. She had to feel her way through with her whiskers or she would take the wrong path and get lost, probably forever.

Icefur continued walking through, unable to see her own paws. She let out a sigh of relief when she reached the Moonstone. The breathtaking glow of the rock in the center of the room was easy to spot when she got close enough.

Icefur padded up to the Moonstone and touched it with her nose. Just like last time, she waited a moment and felt like nothing happened. But when she opened her eyes, she was in another world. She was in a strangely inviting forest. She couldn't tell if it was night or day and a light mist crept along the ground.

"Cloudheart?" She called, hoping to see her sister. She looked into the forest ahead of her and saw a figure walk towards her. She smiled widely when she recognized the cat to be her sister.

Icefur ran up to greet her. Cloudheart was just as she remembered her but looked older and wiser. "It's so good to see you," Icefur exclaimed when she got to her.

"I see you're doing well," Cloudheart replied. Icefur missed hearing her voice so much.

"I wish we could catch up, but I think you know why I'm hear," Icefur said, trying to act more serious.

Cloudheart nodded. "I do. You want to ask about Shadowthorn and his past."

"Yes and you have to tell me," Icefur insisted. "No one else would."

"I will tell you, Icefur. I learned the story when I joined Starclan. But the tale is not what you will expect. You'll probably be disappointed. "

Icefur was afraid to hear that but she nodded. "I have to know."

"Very well." Cloudheart sat down and Icefur did the same.

"Shadowthorn grew up with no siblings. His mother died when he was an apprentice and afterwards, his father seemed to have lost interest in him. He basically ignored him for the rest of his life. Shadowthorns' father died a few nights before his warrior ceremony.

"Shadowthorn didn't have any close friends either. He felt ignored and unwanted his whole life and expressed his anger towards this in his fighting. He became known as the clans' best fighter.

"He soon began looking at the current state of the forest and decided the system wasn't as good as it could have been."

"What do you mean by that?" Icefur broke in.

"He didn't believe the forest being split into four clans was a good idea." Cloudheart continued. "So he started planning and scheming with other cats who agreed with him. Part of his plan was to become deputy but that position was giving to Ashstar when it opened up.

"Angered by this, our father followed the deputy and attempted to kill him. And would have too if the leader, Greystar hadn't come to the rescue. Greystar exiled Shadowthorn. After he left, they discovered half the clan was following Shadowthorn in his plan.

"His plan was to overtake Windclan and then attack the other clans. Shadowthorn also had cats on his side in the other clans too. He wanted to control the whole forest. His evil plan would have succeeded if Greystar didn't find him when he did."

Icefur was silent. She didn't want to believe what her sister was telling her but she had no doubt Cloudheart was telling her the truth.

"I know this is hard for you, Icefur. It was hard for me too. But you're strong and I know you can handle whatever happens next. I'm proud to call you my sister."

Cloudhearts' kind words made Icefur feel a little better.

"But you have to understand, Icefur… Our father is a coldhearted murderer."

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**A/N: And the truth is revealed… I wonder if anyone was expecting any of that. ^ **

**Well you all got a little insight on Shadowthorns' past. I really want to know what everyone thinks Icefur will do next. How did she take it? Etc.**

**I bet you're all happy to see Cloudheart again. I know some of you may have wanted more of her but don't worry; she'll be back.**

**Thanks for reading and please review!**

**Have a nice day~**


	35. Shadowed Visitors

_Chapter 35_

The next day was especially hard for Icefur. He found herself often dozing off into her thoughts when she should have been more focused on hunting or training with Maplepaw. After being told about her fathers' past by her sister, the deputy was not taking it well.

She continuously questioned herself if it was all true or just a huge dream. She wished so but Icefur knew Cloudheart told her the truth about Shadowthorn; that he was a killer.

And yet, she wasn't able to bring herself to hate her father. Icefur wasn't sure what she felt about him anymore. But they planned to meet again that night. She had to decide her feelings about him before then or she could walk right into a trap.

Even though Icefur was gone all night, no one was worried because she returned before dawn. She hardly got any sleep thanks to her new position as deputy.

When Icefur wandered the camp, setting up patrols and hunting parties, her apprentice was following her the whole time listing her complaints.

"Come on, let's go hunting," Maplepaw pleaded as she followed the tired deputy. "You became deputy just yesterday and you already forgot about me?

Icefur knew Maplepaw didn't mean what she said and she was just a little irritated and impatient. Thanks to her drowzyness, she had to force herself to stay calm and focused so she didn't say anything unintentionally. "We can go hunting later today. I still have a lot to do this morning… How about you go check the elders for ticks?"

Maplepaw groaned before nodding. "Alright," she muttered and walked away. Though it was just a suggestion, Maplepaw knew better then to say no to her mentor who just happened to also be the deputy.

When the apprentice left, Icefur sat down where she was a sighed deeply. The day seemed to be blowing by even thought it just started. Icefur wanted to enjoy the time she had left before having to sneak out again.

"Hey Icefur." The deputy was woken out of her thoughts once again and turned around to see her friend Bramblestripe, as cheery as always. "You seem tired. I was about to go hunting but… do you need help with anything?"

Icefur smiled. "No thanks," she said, trying to make herself sound not as tired as she felt. Secretly, she would like some help but didn't want to have to dump her responsibilities on another cat days after getting them.

Bramblestripe didn't seem convinced but when along with it. "Alright but if you need anything I'll be more then happy to help out."

"Have fun hunting," Icefur said with a nod. When Bramblestripe walked away, Icefur sighed again and walk in the other direction.

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Bramblestripe casually walked around the moor, not hunting in any specific place. She already caught a rabbit and was close to catching a bird but lost it.

She soon found herself near the Shadowclan border. While she was hunting, Bramblestripe remembered how active Shadowclan has been at their border and decided to take a quick look; you never know.

She hunted around the border, wisely knowing not to cross it. While she lingered in the area, Bramblestripe managed to catch another rabbit. She set the two by a tree, planning to hide them later. She would have already, but spotted a bird in a nearby tree.

Determined to get it, she pried herself up a tree that was farther away so the bird wouldn't get scared off. When the warrior managed to get on a branch, she swiftly leaped onto a closer tree. She did that many times until the tree with the bird on it was in sight.

Making sure not to fall off or lose her grip, Bramblestripe crouched down. She reminded herself not to wait too long; if she wasted too many precious seconds, the bird could fly away before she could even get the chance.

Bramblestripe pushed with her hind legs and jumped from one tree to the other, landing right on the bird and quickly killing it. Right after killing the bird, Bramblestripe lost her balance and fell of the tree, onto the hard ground. She landed on her feet and thanked Starclan there were no thorns or anything like that under her paws.

The she-cat walked over to the two rabbits and picked them up in her jaw along with the fresh bird. She assumed she has been out long enough and decided to head back out to camp.

Bramblestripe turned around but froze when she noticed a creeping feeling come over her. She slowly turned around and looked into the forest. She saw the Thunderpath past the trees. Bramblestripe was about to keep walking back to camp when a figure appeared inside the shadows. She dropped the prey and said, "Hello? Who's there?" No answer. "I already see you, come on out."

She made a face that showed her annoyance and spoke up again. "What are you afraid of?" She asked in a taunting tone, daring the cat to come out.

But just then, Bramblestripe saw that she was wrong. The cat was in fact not a cat, but a fox! The ugly orange animal dashed out of the trees and straight at her. She didn't even have time to scream.

On instinct, she swiped her unsheathed claw past the fox's mouth as it came up to her. The animal flinched, expecting to actually get hurt. But Bramblestripe was not close enough. When the fox realized this, it snarled at her and came in for a bite. She just barely jumped back in time to dodge it and used to speed to circle around it and attack it from the side.

The fox was able to reach it with its mouth and yank her off. Bmrablestripe, dangling from the fox's jaw, was shook through the air violently. She was convinced the fox was trying to break her back or something.

To her surprise, the fox dropped her seemed distracted. When the she-cat got to her feet again, she saw another cat has come to her rescue and was fighting off the fox.

The new cat was a tom. He was about her age with dark brown, almost black, fur. He skillfully jumped onto the animals' back and dug his claws into its pelt. The fox yelped in pain and tried to shake him off but to no avail. He didn't budge.

Bramblestripe stepped forward to help but fell back. She looked at her back to see she was bleeding. She turned back to the warrior and watched.

The dark-furred tom jumped off the fox and clawed its face one last time. The fox growled and ran back into the forest, covered in various scratches. Then the tom walked over to Bramblestripe. She knew right away that he was a Shadowclan cat.

"Are you alright?" he asked sounding genuinely concerned. This surprised her.

"Uh, yeah. Thanks." She wasn't quite sure how to react.

The tom smiled. "I was glad to help. I was chasing that fox off with some other warriors before. We were convinced it finally left the territory but I came back to make sure."

Bramblestripes' mouth gaped open for a brief moment before realizing. She never met such a kind cat from Shadowclan. But then again, it could be a trick.

"Well thanks for your help but I should get back to camp," Bramblestripe said before turning around. She doubted the tom had any bad intentions and just wanted to leave.

"You have to leave so soon?"

Bramblestripe was relieved she turned around before he said that; she was stiff with shock and it probably showed on her face. Why was the tom being so ice to her? Shadowclan cats' are never nice! Was he just trying to gain her trust or did he actually mean it?

After calming down, she turned back to him. "Uh, yeah, kind of. I, uh, I've been gone a little too long. Windclan might miss me, heh." She said the last part, wondering he knew she was from an enemy clan.

"Can I at least get your name?"

"Bramblestripe," she said flatly.

"Nice to meet you. My name is Rainshadow."

"Rainshadow of Shadowclan, huh?" Bramblestripe said, unable to hold in a smile. "Ookay… Why do you ask?"

Rainstripe shifted his paws awkwardly. "Well, I guess Id' just like to know… In case we ever meet again… I hope so." Bramblestripe wondered if the last part was meant to stay inside his head.

She began to panic but managed to keep herself under control. "Alright, we probably will. You know, at gathering or something."

The tom looked up and straight into her eyes and smiled. "I'll see you then."

"Yeah… See you then… Bye!" Bramblestripe quickly grabbed the two rabbits and bird and ran towards camp as casually as possible. But inside, she knew she didn't look casual at all.

When Rainshadow was out of view, she slowed down into a walk.

_I can't believe that just happened, _she thought to herself. _He likes me; I just know it! I don't understand toms… He takes one look at me and acts as if he's known me his whole life. This is so weird…_

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Icefur has just laid down for a nap when Bramblestripe walked into camp.

Glad to close her eyes, the deputy fell onto the nest, about to fall asleep. But she was shocked away when Bramblestriper an up to her screaming "Icefur, Icefur! I need to talk to you!"

The suddenness of her voice was enough to make Icefur jump up in alarm. "What!? What happened!? Who died!?"

"I did!"

Icefurs' alarm disappeared and was replaced with annoyance. "No offense, but I have been working all day. I'm not in the mood for your joked."

"I'm not kidding," Bramblestripe insisted.

"Really?" The deputy couldn't help but keep the irritation in her voice. "You don't look dead to me."

Bramblestripe sat down and Icefur sighed then did the same. "When I was out hunting, I went up to the Shadowclan border. I was attacked by a fox."

Icefur interrupted, just now noticing the dried up blood on her back. "Are you okay?" She asked, more concerned.

"Huh? Oh forget about that. After the fox attacked, a tom came in and fought it off. Then he started talking to me!"

Icefur stared at her blankly. "Oh no," she muttered with sarcasm. "Let's go raid his camp."

"Be serious," Bramblestripe scolded. "He was from Shadowclan and said his name was Rainshadow."

"Rainshadow from Shadowclan? Huh…"

"That's what I said!" the warrior was still freaking out and the deputy was yet to see why. "He was being really nice and it's so clear that he likes me! What do I do? I can't have a Shadowclan cat falling in love with me."

_Don't flatter yourself, _Icefur almost said lout loud but stopped herself. She suddenly noticed how sassy she could be when tired. For the sake of her friend, Icefur decided to care a little but more. "Well if he's in Shadowclan, you'll probably never see him. Besides, he could have just been trying to be nice since you were hurt. That doesn't mean he likes you in that way."

"You didn't hear what he said. He said he wanted to see me again and was smiling a lot and it was so… weird."

"You're worrying about nothing," Icefur told her. "You should get some rest after checking up with Heatherwish."

Bramblestripe stood up, knowing her friend was right. "Okay then… I'll see you later. And thanks." The white she-cat could still tell her friend was worried about the whole thing but followed orders anyway.

Icefur sighed in relief and laid down in her nest, ready to get some sleep herself.

Right after she closed her eyes, Breezetail came bounding into the area. "Hello, Icefur!"

Icefur jumped up and didn't even look at him when she shouted, "Let me sleep!" as loud as possible.

Startled, Breezetail scampered away as fast as possible. Icefur, realizing what she just did, turned to him but he was already gone.

"Aw," she muttered, wishing she didn't yell at the poor tom. "… I'll apologize later." Icefur laid back down once more and happily let sleep take over.

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Only when the moon was high in the sky did Icefur leave camp to visit Shadowthorn again. She honestly didn't want to go. She was unable to decide how she felt about him after leaning about his part and was afraid of what could possible happen.

Reluctantly, the deputy dragged herself out of camp when no one noticed and headed for the forest by Fourtrees.

At first, she started thinking about what he wanted to say to her or how he might act or anything like that, but she quickly blocked out the thoughts; Icefur didn't want to think about it.

She reached Fourtrees quicker then expected and Shadowthorn found her soon after.

"Icefur," he purred when the black and brown tom saw her. "I'm glad you came." He walked closer to the white warrior and she took a step back. "What's wrong?"

Icefur gulped. She knew she had to tell him as soon as possible. "I know what you did. Why you left the clans, or should I say exiled, and everything else."

Shadowthorn looked stricken but not as much as she expected. "Oh?"

"I'm glad I got to see you again and all, but why did you return here? Your not allowed to be here."

"I wanted to come see you."

"That's not it. Or at least, not all of it," Icefur said fearlessly.

Shadowthorn sighed and looked at the ground between them. "You're right," he admitted without any eye contact. "There is another reason why I'm here but you will be startled when you hear it." He looked back up again. She couldn't place it, but Icefur noticed something was different in his eyes. "Just hear my out before acting."

Icefur thought about it for a moment then nodded.

"If you already know why I was exiled, then you must know I tried to take over the whole forest." He looked at her again to see if she was aware of it before continuing. "But I failed because I tried to do it with force; that's why so many others didn't, couldn't, understand why I was trying to do it."

"Where are you going with this?" Icefur asked, unsure of what he wanted.

"Icefur, I came back to try again."

"What?!" Icefur knew what he meant. Shadowthorn still wanted to control all four clans.

"There will never be peace if the four clans are constantly at war. You have lived here almost your whole life. Can you honestly tell me the clans are not at each others' necks?" Pause. "That's what I thoughts. They say having four clans is the only way to keep the forest balanced," Shadowthorn continued. "But for generations, the endless fighting has been doing no good. I have always wondered how many times power-hungry cats tried to completely wipe out another clan.

"I want to fix that. I want this forest to finally experience peace. If that can happen, then no longer will young kits grown up just to die in another pointless battle. Or the hearts of kin broken when as they watch their family and friends murdered before them. All I want is peace." He waited to see his daughters' reaction but she was unreadable. "Perhaps you can relate."

Icefur looked at her paws, unsure of how to feel. "What's this have to do with me?" she finally asked.

"I came to find you because I have been exiled. I cannot save this forest alone. I want to help you achieve peace for the whole forest. I want to help you combine them into one."

Icefurs' head snapped up at him when he said this. Her eyes were wide with surprise; this was the last thing she expected her father to say. Her mouth opened and closed a few times unable to speak. Finally she was able to reply.

"I can't do that… I can't help you."

Shadowthorn seemed surprised. "What?"

She hesitated for a moment. "You make some good points but there are four clans for a reason, even if we don't realize it. It was Starclans' idea and they are always watching out for us."

Shadowthorn waited a moment. "You have become wise, Icefur… I understand. But when you see your friends getting killed for no reason, I hope you'll consider what's best for the forest." And with that, Shadowthorn disappeared inside the trees, leaving Icefur to think about what he said.

_No… I will never go against Starclan and our traditions… This is how it's supposed to be…_

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**A/N: Yes, I know this is two weeks late… I'm sorry! D: I have wanted to get to this chapter for a while but it's been crazy and my mind has been off elsewhere… But either way, it's up now and the next one wont take two weeks to make.**

**Anyway, I want to know you think; do you agree with Shadowthorn? And what do you think will happen with Bramblestripe and Rainshadow? (Btw, I didn't want to have the name 'shadow' in a Shadowclan cats' name but I couldn't think of anything better…)**

**Have a nice day~**


	36. All According to Plan

_Chapter 36_

A few days have passed since the meeting in Fourtrees.

If clouds weren't covering the sky, the moon would have lit up the entire forest. With no one else in sight, a large, muscular tom swiftly snuck across the border onto Windclan territory. As he left the safety of the trees, the moor welcomed him with a cold burst of wind. But he didn't mind; minor irritations such as this meant almost nothing. Especially when he had a job to do.

The toms' rugged brown fur blended in well with the dirt and dead grass beneath his paws. The grass was only beginning to grow back but in the darkness of the night, it was impossible to tell.

He paused and looked out into the moor. The Windclan camp was already in sight. He had complete confidence it what he was doing and his fur was drenched in Thunderclan scent. But that was the point.

He continued running through the land, making sure to stay close to the ground. When the brown cat reached the camp, he pressed himself even closer to the ground and slowed his pace into a steady walk. He slowly made his way to the leaders den near the Tallrock. The tom moved expertly through the camp as if he had been there before.

After finding the area where the leader of Windclan always slept, he was surprised to see no one was in the nest. Becoming much more cautious now, he turned and glanced around the camp without moving from his spot.

There was no a single movement in the camp. The tom was thankful no one was awake the find him yet. But where was the leader?

And suddenly, he heard someone walking not far from where he was. Knowing it was dangerous to stay in the center of Windclan any longer, the tom fled back into the forest. Though he did nothing to the camp or anyone in it, the mission was a success.

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"Come on, hurry up!"

Since Icefur met with her father at Fourtrees last, she hasn't gone back since. With her reply to his request, she had a feeling there was little to talk about. But every night, she couldn't help but think about what he said to her. Only training and hunting got her mind off of it.

The next morning, Icefur decided her new job as deputy was getting in the way of training. She and Maplepaw haven't had a full day of training since before Hollytail died. So the white she-cat cleared her schedule and took Maplepaw out for training.

But because of Icepaws' vigorous training as an apprentice, she was much faster then Maplepaw and had to tell the she-cat to pick up the pace. Icefur needed to get her in shape.

When they reached the center of the open moor, Icefur sat down, facing her apprentice who was currently full of energy._ Not for long, _she thought to herself, finding it hard to hold in the devilish smile.

"What are we going to do today?" Maplepaw asked, unaware of what awaited her.

"You're going to do something that my mentor made me do every single day; you're going to run."

Maplepaw was confused. "Uh, I already did that," he said as if it was obvious.

Icefur smiled. "No, you're going to run to Fourtrees and back here as fast as you can."

"What?' The rich brown she-cat demanded, not liking where it was going. "That sounds totally pointless!"

"Why do you think I got here quicker then you?"

"Because you're older," Maplepaw replied flatly.

"That's not the only reason. By doing this, you could become the fasted cat in the clan. But complaining will get you no where."

"But I don't want to." Maplepaw complaining sounded like a kit who refused to eat a nasty herb. Icefur just started at her. She knew the eyes could be just as powerful as a claw.

Maplepaw began to feel awkward and stood up with a heavy sigh.

"Now run to the border of Fourtrees and back here as fast as possible or you'll be sorry," Icefur told her. She wasn't actually going to harm Maplepaw in any way if she didn't return quick enough; she was just saying the came thing Stormtooth said to her. She could still remember how affective it was.

Maplepaw groaned and started running. Because the wind was blowing in her direction and that she was going down hill, the way to Fourtrees was almost effortless for the young cat. When she reached the border, she smiled to herself, thinking of how easy it was to get there. But when Maplepaw turned around, her smile faded.

She began running back to Icefur against the wind and land. She felt like she was running slower then she could walk.

When the she-cat finally reached Icefur, she collapsed onto the ground.

"Are you alright?" Icefur asked with a concerned voice. "Are you thirsty?"

Maplepaw waited a moment before answering, trying to get her breath back. "Yeah," she eventually managed to say.

"Then you better run to the river to get a drink." After speaking, Icefur noticed Maplepaws' eyes snapped wide open.

"What?" The deputy had no doubt that if Maplepaw had more energy, she would have been much louder.

Icefur almost wanted to laugh. She knew exactly how Maplepaw felt. The deputy had gone through the same thing as an apprentice. She faintly remembered telling herself not to train an apprentice the way Stormtooth trained her but that was before she learned how much it paid off. Besides, at least she wasn't yelling at her the way he did.

"I had to do the same thing and when I did it, I was younger then you. I know you can make it there and back." The mentors' words seemed to have put a bit more energy into the small she-cat. Maplepaw stood back up and turned to the river. It was in sight but still a ways away.

She took a few deep breaths before hurrying to the river. Icefur waited patiently, thinking back to her days as an apprentice. In a way, it didn't seem that long ago. In times like these, it was so easy to forget the world around her: from the weight of being deputy, to the stress of the other clans. Without these worries, life would be so much easier.

Icefur shook herself out of her thoughts when she saw Maplepaw return at last. She looked refreshed but still exhausted from running.

Without saying anything, Icefur sat still and gave Maplepaw some time to rest.

The white cat waited until her apprenticed slowed her breathing down before talking again. "So do you want to do it again?" She asked cheerfully.

Maplepaw just gave her a sour glance. It was probably wise not to respond. Icefur chuckled. She knew Maplepaw meant no disrespect. They way they treated each other just told her they were close.

"Alright, let's go back to camp. After you get some rest, you can check on the elders." This seemed fine to Maplepaw for she nodded and stood up and followed Icefur back to camp.

When they got back to camp, Maplepaw went straight to her nest. The deputy made a mental note to check in on her later to remind her to see the elders if she hasn't by then already.

While Icefur was going to the fresh-kill pile, Bramblestripe ran up to her. "Icefur, when I was out patrolling, I noticed something weird." Icefur turned to her friend to see Ashstar walk up to her as well.

"Icefur, someone from Thunderclan has been here." That seemed to be what Bramblestripe was going to say because she didn't say anything else after that but just nodded. Icefur left with the leader to the Tallrock to talk without anyone overhearing.

If felt strange for her to have a one-on-one conversation with Ashstar. She had before of course, but she had to remind herself to get used to it; she was the deputy.

"Last night, I woke up and went for a walk but when I came back, Thunderclan scent was lingering around the camp. I could tell they came near here too; maybe looking for me," the leader calming explained. He was as serious as ever.

"What do you think this cat wanted?" Icefur asked, trying to sound professional.

"I'm not sure. Thunderclan has been difficult to predict lately. But no good; that's for sure." Icefur nodded in agreement.

"So what are we going to do about it?"

Ashstar looked past Icefur, looking at nothing in particular. He was just organizing his thoughts as he spoke. "However unlikely, I want some cats to follow the scent through the territory just in case he's still here." He waited a moment, letting his plans sink in. He stood up and looked away. "I've noticed something; for far too long, Windclan has been nothing but a victim to the other clans."

Icefur frowned. "What do you mean by that?"

He looked back at her with something in his eyes that almost looked like anger. "It's like all we do is wait for the other clans to attack us. I've tried to keep peace but it's not working. Thunderclan has crossed the line this time; it's time to attack."

Icefur was stricken. "Attack? But what will that accomplish?"

"If we don't take action, Thunderclan and Shadowclan will just keep attacking us. We need to show them that we wont stand for it. I have been way to merciful to them."

Icefur understood what Ashstar meant completely but she didn't want to send the warriors into battle. Since her sisters' death, she couldn't imagine how she would feel if another friend died in battle: a pointless battle.

She sighed, knowing Ashstar wouldn't change his mind. "When will we attack them?"

"Soon," Ashstar replied plainly. "But before we even tell the others this, I want patrols out after the scent. After they report back, I'll work on when the right time to attack will be… Most likely the next day or day after they." Ashstar said the last part quieter like he was just talking to himself.

"Alright," Icefur meowed. "I'll go set up the patrols now."

"Thank you," Ashstar said with a nod.

Icefur left the leader to start making out the patrols. She walked into where most of the warriors were to make the quick announcement. She didn't bother making a clan meeting on the Tallrock.

"Attention everyone," she yelled in the center of camp and all the nearby cats gave their attention to her. "You've probably all noticed there is Thunderclan scent in the camp. So we're going to send out a few patrols to follow it." Icefur paused; glad to see Bramblestripe walk up to her. "Bramblestripe, where did you find the scent exactly?"

"Not too far from the river but-" Icefur cut her off.

"Alright. Brightfire, Mudwhisker and Rowanpelt, you guys can go check that out." The three warriors agreed and quickly left the camp. "And Silverstone, Moonheart and Dustfoot, you can search for any other scents around the territory. I suggest you start by the border." Icefur realized she probably didn't need to make a suggestion but it was to late. The warriors left the camp right after she spoke.

Bramblestripe finally broke in again. "Hold on," she pleaded. "I first found the scent near the river but I found an even weaker one leading away from it and headed to Shadowclan territory."

"Really," Icefur muttered. It sounded interesting enough.

"Yeah, so I figured you and I could go follow it." Bramblestripe smiled, begging her friend to go with her.

"Okay, let's go."

They left camp and Icefur followed Bramblestripe to where she found the trail of Thunderclan scent. They were basically following the first patrol for part of the walk. While the stronger scent followed the river, Icefur noticed a weaker path going into the other direction. The two she-cats followed it.

Icefur knew it was odd how the cat left two trails. One was probably meant to lead the Windclan cats away from the path he really took but she couldn't be certain. And why did he go to Shadowclan of all places? Wouldn't it just be easier and safer to go back to Thunderclan?

Icefur didn't get much time to think about it before they reached the Shadowclan border. They stopped before entering the trees.

"The scent just goes into Shadowclan," Bramblestripe said, staring into the stretch of trees.

"That's so strange," Icefur muttered to herself.

As they stood by the border, a memory flashed into Bramblestripes' mind and she decided to say it. "Oh yeah, this is also where I ran into that Shadowclan cat, Rainshadow a few days ago."

Icefur opened her mouth the respond but was cut off by another voice.

"So you told your friend about me, huh?

Bramblestripe and Icefur snapped their heads into the forest, fully alert. A dark-furred tom stepped out of the trees. It was Rainshadow.

Bramblestripe was startled but Icefur was mad about him on their land.

"What do you think you're doing here?" she demanded.

Rainshadows' casual smile faded and was replaced with a look for pure innocence. "I'm sorry," he started. "I was just patrolling and thought there was a slight chance I could run into Bramblestripe again if I can. I promise I was going to leave but I just happened to hear you two come. Once I saw there where two of you, I was going to go back to camp anyway until she mentioned me."

After hearing him explain, Icefur couldn't bring herself to not trust him. Just the way he spoke made her want to believe he was telling the truth. It was… odd.

Bramblestripe turned to her friend. "He liked me, I know it," she insisted in a whisper so he wouldn't be able to hear.

Icefur ignored her. "Well we're here so you can be on your way now."

"Why?" He asked plainly. "I'm no harm. I just wanted to see Bramblestripe again. I hope you didn't forget abut me already," he said, looking over to the grey and black she-cat.

Icefur could tell her friend was feeling incredible awkward just by standing next to her.

When Bramblestripe didn't respond, Icefur got a good idea. "Hey Rainshadow," she started. "Do you know anything about a Thunderclan cat in your territory?"

Rainstripe tilted his head, genially confused. "Thunderclan? No, I have no idea what you're talking about. He have been noticing a cat by the borders that's' not from a clan but no Thunderclan." After he spoke, he shut his mouth tight, afraid he might have said something he shouldn't have. Icefur noticed this.

"Don't worry, we have the same problem." She knew the mysterious cat he was talking about was her father. "But we were following a Thunderclan cats' scent and it led into Shadowclan"

Rainshadow considered this for a moment. "Now that you mention it… I have noticed a little Thunderclan on my way here but nothing deep inside the territory or anything. Just near the borders."

The deputy was beginning to understand why the Thunderclan cat went into Shadowclan. He was probably trying to confuse Windclan and escape into his own territory after sneaking along the border of Shadowclans. "Thanks."

"By the way," the Shadowclan cat said smoothly. "You know my name, but what's' yours?"

"My name is Icefur. I'm the deputy of Windclan." The tom seemed impressed but drew his attention back on Bramblestripe.

"You have good taste in friend," he said with a faint smile.

"Eh, thanks," Brmablestripe said stiffly. "Uh, we should be going now. Come along, Icefur." She turned around and scurried away. Icefur sighed and began to follow. "Goodbye," she said quickly to the tom.

"It was nice meeting you," he called and vanished back into the forest.

When they returned back to camp, Icefur brought her friend over to the edge to talk to her about Rainshadow. She waited a moment to check if anyone was nearby before talking. "What is wrong with you?" She asked sternly.

"What do you mean?" Bramlestripe said, unsure if she should be offended.

"Even if he's from another clan, Rainshadow is really nice. And you will hardly talk to him. It's fine to have friends in other clans, you know. I have a friend in Thunderclan."

"I know that," she replied wearily. "It's just kind of awkward. I have no idea if he's going to 'make a move' or something."

Icefur was torn between laughter and annoyance. "You're freaking out over nothing. He's just being friendly. And all cats' know it's against the Warrior Code to fall in love with another cat from a different clan. He wouldn't go around the borders looking for someone to fall in love with!"

"Yeah I know," the she-cat muttered. "I guess you're right…"

Icefur smiled. She loved hearing those words. "So next time you see him, first have a nice little conversation then kick him off our territory. Okay?"

Brmablestripe looked back up at the deputy. "Why did you even let him stay on out land for as long as he did anyway? I know how stern you can be about that."

Icefur froze. "Uh, I don't know… I guess there's just something about him. I couldn't help but trust him." Icefur was worried for a moment her friend was going to accuse her for 'liking' Rainshadow but she seemed to understand.

"I know what you mean… At least he didn't attack us or anything," she said half joking.

"Yeah… Wait, attack?" Icefur jumped up, remembering she wanted to talk to Ashstar about the attack and patrols. "I got to go. See you later."

Icefur left her friend and wandered the camp in search for Ashstar. She soon saw him just leaving the medicine cat den.

"Hey Ashstar," she called.

"Icefur. Did any patrols get back yet?" The leader asked calmly.

"The first two didn't. But Bramblestripe and I went out. Apparently, there was another trail leading out of the first scent that was weaker. It went straight into Shadowclan." Icefur continued before Ashstar could reply. "We uh, overheard some Shadowclan cats' at the border saying the scent just went along the border and back into Thunderclan."

The last part was a lie but she wouldn't dare tell Ashstar about Rainshadow being on their territory.

"Interesting…" Ashstar muttered. "This is very useful information."

_It is? _The deputy couldn't help wondering.

"I will make the announcement of the raid later."

"Oh yeah about that," Icefur cut in. "Are you sure there is no better way to solve this?" She asked hopefully.

"No, this is the only way. If we don't put Thunderclan in their place, we will never get any respect."

"But we are going to start a war!" Icefur insisted.

"If a war will start after this battle, we can blame Hawkstar, His greed and foolishness is the reason for all of this."

Icefur couldn't believe that. She knew the clans' were fighting even before she joined Winclan. And that was before Hawkstar was even leader.

Ashstar looked the Icefur straight in the eye. "I didn't want it to come to this. But weather it starts because of us or another clan, war in unavoidable. But maybe acting first will give us the upper paw this time."

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**A/N: Things are heating up! To be honest, this story will be coming to a close before you know it. We're probably at the 'falling action' right. But don't worry, for there will be a sequel!**

**Anyways, sorry for the wait. I know these chapters aren't that long and yet it takes me a full week to write them… I'm just lazy when it comes to this sometimes. I'll try to get them up faster…**

**If anyone is wondering, I did not forget about Breezetail. I'll have him appear soon enough. Probably the next chapter.**

**On another note, I'd love to know what you guys think! Please give me a review of your thoughts, comments, questions, etc. We all know it's true: when I get more reviews, I'll update faster. **

**Have a nice day~**

**P.S. Is the chapter name lame? Should I change it? I don't know...  
**


	37. Taking the Offensive

_Chapter 37_

Two days after Ashstar noticed the scent of Thunderclan in their camp, the sky was covered in dark clouds. It was no longer Leaf-Bare but another storm was coming. No one would be too surprised if it rained. There was a calm breeze traveling across the moor. It seemed to tell the clan that something was going to happen.

Icefur was beginning to think the leader forgot about attacking Thunderclan or at least decided not to. But that changed after he called a clan meeting.

"Thunderclan thinks they can walk all over us-" Ashstar begun once the warriors gathered under the Tallrock. "-Only because we have done nothing to stop them. But that ends today. Today we will launch an attack on Thunderclan that will put them in their place!" He paused for a moment to see if anyone below was against the idea. No one spoke out or seemed angry so he continued. "One group will attack first and another will stand by just in case."

Icefur already heard the plan. Ashstar told her his plans before calling the meeting. For the past two days, the deputy has been thinking of ideas to possible stop the attack but nothing came to mind. It was true that Thunderclan needed to be taught a lesson in her opinion but another side of her was against the idea. She just didn't want anyone to get hurt.

Knowing the leaders word is law, Icefur also tried to get herself to like the plan of attacking. He was a warrior. More then that, she was the deputy. Icefur knew she needed to stop fearing death for its all a part of life.

Icefur looked back up at the leader and started listening again when he was finished explaining the plan and started listing off the cats who will go.

"The warriors apart of the first group are Stormtooth, Blackspot, Bramblestripe, Rowanpelt, Moonheart, Sunclaw, Rainpaw, Runningshade and myself. If they need help at any time, then Icefur, Breezetail, Snowpelt, Mudwhisker, Flowerfrost, Rockpaw and Silverstone will be there to back them up."

Icefur quickly glanced over to her apprentice who seemed disappointed that her name wasn't called.

Ashstar looked up at the sky. It was hard to tell behind the clouds, but it was almost Sunhigh. "Prepare yourselves," he added. "We will leave soon… Clan meeting dismissed."

After the meeting was over, Icefur found Bramblestripe talking to Breezetail.

"Looks like we're all going," Breezetail said almost joyfully.

"Maybe," Icefur pointed out. "You may not even need the second group."

"We all know Thunderclan is tough," Bramblestripe said. "Its' good to know we have backup."

Icefur nodded and shifted her paws. He has been debating on weather or not telling her friends her thoughts on the battle. "I wish we didn't have to fight though," the white she-cat said at last.

Breezetail tilt his head. "Why? We're warriors. Fighting is what we do."

"I know, I know. It's just that… After Cloudheart died, I don't want to lose anyone else in a battle."

Breezetail glanced at his sister then walked up to Icefur and sat down at her side. "We'll be alright, Icefur." He smiled at her.

"Yeah," Bramblestripe agreed. "We have been trained for moments like these. Besides, you and the others will be here in case we need help."

Icefur looked up at her friends and smiled. Then she spotted Stormtooth walked in the distance. "I'll talk to you guys later," she said and ran after her mentor.

"Hey Stormtooth," she called to get his attention.

The dark brown tom stopped and turned to the younger cat. He didn't say anything.

"Good luck. You know, with the battle."

"Thanks." Stormtooth always spoke with little emotion. "This is the first time Windclan attacked another clan in a while. Maybe it'll be exciting."

Icefur smiled. She remembered how he felt about Hawkstar. He has probably been looking for a good excuse to start a fight with the Thunderclan leader. Hawkstar was strong but Stormtooth looked stronger.

The two turned their heads towards the call Ashstar made near the camp entrance. The first group was about to leave. Stormtooth said goodbye and walked away to join the others. Icefur saw Bramblestripe walk off to join them as well along with the other warriors.

_I'm over thinking this, _he suddenly decided. _Windclan has been in many fights before. No one is going to die. I'm just being paranoid because this is the first attack I've been apart of._

After reassuring herself, Icefur turned to join the other warriors who were also in the second group.

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Bramblestripe pushed herself to the front of the group as they walked through the breezy moor. She never liked being in the back.

Ashstar and the senior warriors were at the frost as well. She wondered how many of them had attacked another clan before. It seemed to be pretty rare. Bramblestripe agreed with Ashstar; Windclan needed to step up their game.

They reached the border near Fourtrees and Riverclan and crossed it. Riverclan being their ally, the Windclan cats knew they wouldn't get mad for walking on their border for a brief moment.

As they got closer to the forest, the wind seemed to die down; the trees blocked it out. They first group soon reached the Thunderclan border and didn't hesitate to walk across. Moving a little faster now, they ran through the trees, heading for the Thunderclan camp. Bramblestripe noted that it seemed even darker inside the forest.

But not long after entering the territory, a mob of Thunderclan cats stormed out of the trees to defend. Bramblestripes' first thought was _how did they find out we were coming? _Her second thought was to attack.

In the debths of the forest, she quickly picked out an enemy warrior and tacked her. The she-cat she attacked was Fernpetal. She could tell by the Thunderclan cats' size that she was still young; probably a new warrior.

The she-cat was startled but swiftly retaliated. She raked her claws against Bramblestripes' muzzle and Bramblestripe clawed her side. The two she-cats, surrounded by other fighting cats, were almost completely unaware of the violence around them.

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Stormtooth indeed wanted to find the Thunderclan leader but knew he couldn't waste any time looking for the one cat. He simply attacked the first cat he saw. That cat happened to be Thistlescar, one of the cats who Stormtooth particularly did not like.

Stormtooth pushed off the ground with his hind legs and tacked into the Thunderclan deputies' side when he wasn't watching. The tom reacted as if he was expecting it and quickly got back on his feet, biting Stormtooths' leg. The Windclan cat kicked him in the side, making him let go and clawed the toms back. Thistlescar expertly jumped out of the way in time to dodge the attack and tackled Stormtooth. He was pushed backwards until colliding with a tree.

Before Thistlescar could attack again, Stormtooth clawed his chest. While he flinched in pain, Stormtooth jumped back into his feet and attacked again.

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It didn't take long for Ashstar to see that the Thunderclan leader wasn't at the fight. In fact, he only assumed that Thunderclan somehow knew they were coming; that was the only way to explain how they got to the Windclan cats so quickly. He decided to look into it after the battle.

The leader locked claws with the Thunderclan warrior, Greyshadow, right at the beginning. Ashstar had nothing against the particular grey warrior; they had actually known each other for a while but it was a good thing they never became friends. Otherwise the fight was be quite awkward.

Ashstar kicked Greyshadow back when he was close to pinning him to the ground and followed it with a claw to the shoulder. Greyshadow bared his teeth in pain but ignored it and clawed Ashstar back on the leg.

When the two cats' separated, Ashstar looked around and saw Windclan was already pushing them back. They did seem weaker from sharing their land with Shadowclan… Perhaps he was right.

Before Greyshadow could attack first, Ashstar ran up to the tom once more and slashed his side as he tried to dodge. Greyshadow backed up and glanced around, also noticing that Thunderclan was losing.

Before the fight could continue, Ashstars' attention was dragged away from Greyshadow as he heard one of his warriors shriek. He turned around after the voice and saw Bramblestripe was lying on her side with a bad looking claw mark on her side. Blood was already dripping onto the ground.

Ashstar wanted to run over and check if she was okay, but turned to where Greyshadow was standing. He was surprised to see the warrior had fled. He glanced around and noticed the number of Thunderclan cats was quickly getting smaller.

The leader ran to Bramblestripes side and made sure to check if she was alive. He was glad to see that her wound was not as bad as it looked but she had to get back to camp as soon as possible.

Ashstar called the two closest warriors, which were Moonheart and Sunclaw and told them to get Bramblestripe back to camp safely.

Right after speaking, he noticed that all the Thunderclan warriors were gone.

_Aside from Bramblestripe, that went better then I expected… _Ashstar should have been happy they won but something was not right. It wasn't like Thunderclan cats to run so quickly. Now that he thought about it, there weren't many to begin with.

Ashstar decided it would be better to just get back to camp; they proved their point.

"Okay everyone," he called to the Windclan warriors. "Let's get out of here."

He and the warriors walked through the forest, heading back to the moor. Thanks to the dark clouds, the forest seemed more mysterious and ominous. This only made him want to leave even quickly.

He padded over to Moonheart and Sunclaw who were helping Bramblestripe.

"How is she doing?"

"She'll be fine once Heatherwish takes a look," Sunclaw replied. Bramblestripe was faintly awake. She had enough energy to walk with the two warriors help. Her side was still covered in blood. "I wonder who did this to her…"

Ashstar could see the moor in the distance through some of the trees. He let out a sigh of relief at the sight but apparently, he sighed too soon.

Out of nowhere, I heard battle cries behind him and the leader spun around to see what happened.

Another, even larger group of Thunderclan warriors suddenly appeared. These warriors all looked stronger then the ones before and there were much more then them.

Ashstar was too shocked to do anything before Hawkstar ran into him, his eyes ablaze with anger. Thunderclan was making a counterattack.

"What is the meaning of this?" Hawkstar demanded, surprising Ashstar with the question.

"How could you act dumb?!" Ashstar scolded. "A Thunderclan cat snuck into out camp a few nights ago! What did you expect us to do?"

"Enough of your lies," Hawkstar spat. "We did no such thing! You make a sad excuse for attacking and now you will be sorry! Now you have corssed the line. This is War!"

Hawkstar ran into the Windclan leader. Ashstar attacked back by clawing his stomach right after being tackled. Hawkstar backed up in pain but did his best to ignore it.

White Hawkstar was recovering; Ashstar glanced around to realize they were outnumbered. He spotted Runningshade and told her to run back to camp and get the second group. Moment after she left, Hawkstar was coming at Ashstar again.

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Icefur and the other warriors were waiting patiently as camp for any news about the attack. They finally got it when Runningshade ran into camp with an urgent expression.

"Thunderclan made a counterattack," she told the deputy once she arrived. "We're outnumbered."

"Alright, let's go help them out," Icefur called the others and all the warriors assigned to the second group stormed out of camp.

They raced through the moor and quickly came to the edge of the forest where the battle raged on. Thanks to the wind, they got there much faster then usual. With no hesitation, the group of cats raced inside and joined the battle with Icefur at the head.

But before she could do anything helpful, Icefur froze when she saw Stormtooth and Thistlescar fighting. She arrived just in time to see Thistlescar slash her mentor from his neck down to his stomach and suddenly, Icefur felt sick. Stormtooth was too injured to defend himself after getting attacked and he just fell onto the ground, possible unconscious.

Now oblivious to everything else around her, Icefur charged at Thistlescar before he could finish off Stormtooth. The white she-cat tackled him bring him to the ground. He kicked her off right away but before anyone could blink, Icefur spun around and clawed the Thunderclan deputies muzzle as hard as she could, still furious about what happened to Stormtooth.

Thistlescar backed up, trying to make some distance to recover enough energy to keep fighting. He was tired from the fight with Stormtooth but Icefur was well-rested and ready to fight.

The Windclan cat gave Thistlescar no time to rest before she launched herself at him and clawing him on the head. He flinched and in that time, Icefur circled around him and bit down hard on his back.

The Tunderclan tom shook her off and backed away again. While he was at a distance, Icefur glanced around the battle to see how her warriors were keeping up.

Both clans were evenly matched in numbers but the Windclan cats were getting tired from fighting. She wasn't the only one who noticed this. Ashstar, standing not far from where she was, soon called a retreat.

Icefur paused to help Stormtooth up before leaving with the others. But the large tom was not awake and couldn't walk even with her help. Breezetail noticed she was having trouble and came over to help her carry him.

Just a moment later, all the Windclan cats quickly made their way out of the forest, across the Riverclan border and back onto their own land. Everyone felt exhausted and defeated as they slowly made their way back to camp.

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Right after returning to camp, Icefur, Ashstar and Breezetail took Bramblestripe and Stormtooth to the medicine cat den; they were more injured out of the other warriors.

Heatherwish and Nightpaw covered their wounds in cobwebs as soon as they walked in.

"So how are they?" Ashstar asked the medicine cat after a while of silence.

Heatherwish took a moment before answering to look closer at the two knocked out cats. "It's hard to say," she muttered still occupied with helping her patients. "Bramblestripe should be fine after some rest. Her injuries are really not that bad." Heatherwish turned to the three cats and sat down. "But I'm not sure about Stormtooth."

Icefur began to get a bad feeling. "It's not looking good," Heatherwish continued. "He was clawed from the neck down to the stomach and already lost a lot of blood. I will do whatever I can but he's in Starclans' paws now."

Icefur didn't trust herself to speak once Heatherwish was done explaining. She walked outside of the den, ignoring the fact that her white fur was covered in blood; most likely Stormtooths'. When she stepped outside, Icefur noticed it began to rain. Most of the warriors who were not in line to see Heatherwish and/or Nightpaw were already in the underground caves to get some rest.

Icefur wasn't in the mood to talk to anyone. She walked out of camp and paced around the territory as it rained. In a way, the drops of cool water felt good against her pelt even thought she knew it would be annoying later.

Though impossible to tell, the sun was going down and the sky became even darker behind the dark rain clouds. The gentle breeze still lingered about.

Icefur stopped walking and sat down after a while of walking in no particular direction. She stared at the ground near her paws and ordered her thoughts.

Thunderclan somehow knew Windclan would attack; that much was certain. Otherwise, they wouldn't have such a large patrol near the border closest the Windclan. But how did they know?

Two of the cats closest to her were injured. Bramblestripe would be fine but its possible Stormtooth would die. And Icefur felt like she had to blame someone for it all. She wanted to blame herself for not getting to the fight scene in time but that wasn't enough. She could blame Ashstar for attacking Thunderclan but that didn't feel right. Icefur could also blame Thunderclan for sneaking onto their territory in the first place but she didn't know Hawkstar was clueless about it. And she could blame Starclan for taking Stormtooth if it came down to that.

_I shouldn't blame anyone for this… It's no ones fault; it just happened. _Icefur tried to convince herself but it didn't help. Inside, she truly knew that blaming someone wouldn't help at all but what else could she do?

Still ignoring the rain, Icefur looked up at the clouded sky; it wasn't night yet but it sure looked like it.

The started thinking back to the battle and her thoughts on it;

_None of this needed to happen… This whole thing was completely pointless! It didn't solve anything; just make things worse. We're trying to make peace by fighting and we're doing a bad job at it. _Icefurs' own thoughts were beginning to make her mad. _There has to be a better way to solve this…_

Icefur paused, pondering the few ways to bring peace to the forest and the clans. _These meaningless battles are the reason my friends got hurt- the reason for so much unnecessary death. _Then Icefur suddenly got an idea that sent chills down her spine.

_Was Shadowthorn right?_

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**A/N: Oooh, what is Icefur going to do next? I guess we'll have to wait and find you. (When I say we, I mean you; I already know)**

**You can all thank one Guest for this chapter being uploaded already. This person rawred and me (not even kidding), reminding me that what I have been doing is silly. My chapters aren't that long so I shouldn't make you wait a whole week just because I'm lazy. School is no excuse. Only that person knows what I mean by 'rawr.' X)**

**Anyway, make sure to give me your thoughts, comments, questions, anything! I want to know what you think. =]**

**Have a nice day~**


	38. Optimistic

_Chapter 38_

Icefur traveled to Fourtrees to next night. It didn't take long to find Shadowthorn; or more accurately, for him to find her.

She had been thinking about what he said to her nights ago for the whole day. Ever since Stormtooth and Bramblestripe were hurt, she was pondering weather he was right about the clans' ways. Was he right? Would everyone be better off in one clan?

She still wasn't very sure of herself. But with a war starting in the clans, she couldn't wait much longer to make up her mind. Icefur had to do something.

In the darkness of the night, Icefur wandered the forest around Fourtrees in search for her father. As she walked, he soon found her. They didn't plan to meet but she figured he had nowhere else to go.

"Alright," she began still wondering if she was doing the right thing. "I'll help you take over the forest."

Shadowthorn seemed surprised but he still hid it well. After a moment of silence, he smiled. "Thank you," he said plainly with a nod. "One day, the cats of this forest will thank you too."

Icefur was still so uncertain. Part of her wondered if combining the clans will really help but another part agreed with everything Shadowthorn said; the clans continue to rush into battles that solved nothing in the end. If they somehow manage the settle their problems, more will spring up. The fighting will never end unless someone does something.

Icefur felt like she was the only one who would risk trying.

Shadowthorn seemed to notice how Icefur felt and added, "in case you're wondering, I don't want to be the leader."

"What?" Icefur looked up at him.

"If everything works out and we combine the clans, I don't want to be the leader. When I tried to take over the clans before, I failed. I'm not the right cat for the job. But I think you have what it takes. I only want to help you."

Now Icefur was even more uncertain. She couldn't imagine herself leading every cat in the forest. "I don't know," she muttered.

"You already have a good sense of what's right," Shadowthorn tried to convince her. "You may not notice it yet, but you can do it. You can bring the clans into a bright new era as one."

Her fathers' words made her feel more encouraged. "Thanks." Icefur didn't know what else to say. "So how exactly are we going to do this?"

"I've already started thinking about that," the tom told her. "Last time, I used force. This time, we'll do it from the inside."

"What do you mean?" Icefur asked and tilted her head in confusion.

Shadowthorn smiled. Actually, it was more like a mixture of a smile and a smirk. "I'll tell you later. Now isn't the time. Come back here tomorrow night. Before that, think about what we're doing and decide if you're confident about it."

Icefur appreciated her father giving her an extra day to think about it. She nodded. "Alright. But the gathering is coming up soon; in these times, nothing good can come from that."

"We'll start the plan before that," Shadowthorn assured her. "And make sure not to tell anyone about this yet. Not until the time is right."

Icefur understood. They said goodbye and the white she-cat walked back out into the moor and back to camp. That night was particularly breezy. She idly wondered if she would be able to get any sleep after her conversation and the strong winds.

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Icefur was glad she had a good nights' rest. The conversation she had the night before was still in the back of her mind but she didn't want to start the day by thinking about it. The deputy wanted to occupy herself with something else first.

The white she-cat walked around to camp, thinking about everything she had to do. She considered sending out some hunting parties or a border patrol before she spotted the apprentices were all gathered in one area, talking.

She curiously walked up to them. There was Nightpaw, Rainpaw, Stonepaw, Rockpaw and Maplepaw all sitting in a circle. "Hello," Icefur started. "How are you all this morning?"

"Hello Icefur," Maplepaw said first with a huge smile and gleaming eyes. Her expression made the deputy a little suspicious.

Stonepaw spoke up. "We were just talking about when we can get our warrior names." The light grey tom tried to speak casually.

Then it hit her; Stonepaw, Rainpaw and Nightpaw have been apprentices for a while now. She needed to talk to their mentors and Ashstar about if they were ready to get their names. "Oh really," Icefur meowed. "Well maybe you'll get your names soon… How is the training going?"

"Great," Stonepaw exclaimed and his sister nodded. "Sunclaw says I'm almost ready for my warrior name," Rainpaw added.

"What about me?" Maplepaw didn't take her eyes off of the deputy.

Icefur chuckled. Maplepaw knew she was still too young but gave it a shot anyway. "You and Rockpaw are not ready yet." Then she directed her attention to the medicine cat apprentice. "How is the training going, Nightpaw?"

The dark grey tom shrugged. "Alright, I guess." Icefur could tell by the faint smile that it was going better then 'alright.'

Before Icefur could respond, she saw Ashstar appear a few tail lengths away. He locked eyes with her, gesturing that he wanted to speak with her but didn't want to interrupt. "Well I better get going," she said to the five apprentices. They said goodbye and Icefur walked over to the leader.

He didn't say anything but walked out of the center of camp and over to the Tallrock where he usually hangs out. Icefur followed him.

"You know, I think it's time Rainpaw and Stonepaw get their warrior names," Icefur said when they were alone. The leader looked past her and at the apprenticed. "You're probably right," he muttered and obviously had something else on his mind.

He was quick to change the topic. "Anyway, have you noticed that the Thunderclan cats seemed to be expecting us when we attacked?"

Icefur hesitated for a moment before answering. The question came out of nowhere and she needed a moment to think back to the battle. "Yeah, now that you mention it…"

"During the battle, I briefly spoke with Hawkstar. We attacked Thunderclan because one of them came to our camp. But when I mentioned this, he seemed genuinely confused."

This surprised the she-cat. Ashstar was skilled with figuring out the thoughts of others just by looking at them. If he decided Hawkstar really didn't know what he was talking about, then he really didn't know. "Maybe a warrior came here without permission."

"That was my first thought," Ashstar told her. His expression was dead serious. He must have put a lot of thought into the situation. "But even if that was the case, the warrior didn't do anything. It seemed like they just walked around and left."

"So what do you think happened?"

Ashstar paused for a moment to organize his thoughts. "It's possible it was all a set up. Maybe someone came onto out territory just to get us to attack Thunderclan. That would explain how they were ready for us but it wouldn't explain why Hawkstar had no idea what I was talking about when a cat crossed the border. We'll have to look into this."

Ice fur nodded. "Okay, I'll think about it and tell you if I find anything out." Icefur considered finding Redshade and asking but she didn't know if he would give her the answer.

"As for the apprentices, 'I'll ask their mentors to give them their assessment today."

"Sounds good," Icefur said and smiled. "We need more warriors anyway."

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Ever since Redshade got an apprentice, he noticed something strange in Dawnpaw. Her brother and sister died when they were born. She knew about it about took it worse then most kits. She always seemed drained and depressed. Most cats eventually get over it when siblings die and move on but not Dawnpaw. Even though she doesn't even remember Stormkit and Brightkit, the orange she-cat acts like they were her best friends.

Redshade understood how she felt since he lost his brother, Falmekit, but at her age, she shouldn't be acting the way she has.

To make it even stranger, he remembered how Dawnpaw looked when she got her apprentice name. She was as gleeful as any other new apprentice but she started behaving differently not even a moon later.

Dawnpaw never seemed happy no matter what happens; it's like all those emotions were gone and replaced with some kind of hate.

It worried him. Redshade tried to cheer her up on more then one occasion but nothing worked. He always wondered if something happened to her that he knew nothing about.

Was it her parents? Where they abusing her or something? He doubted that; Greyshadow and Flowertail were two of the nicest warriors he knew.

Then what?

All these thoughts jumped into the red toms mind once again as he watched her pounce on a nearby mouse.

"Good catch," he exclaimed with added enthusiasm.

The orange she-cat simple glanced at her mentor, acknowledging the complement. She padded over to him with the mouse in her jaw. Her expression was plain, almost bored.

Redshade held in a sigh and looked around the forest. "Let's catch a few more before heading off to camp."

"…Alright," Dawnpaw muttered at last. Redshade was always glad when she actually spoke. No matter how often he starts a conversation, Dawnpaw hardly replied. Whenever she did, it was often with a one-word response.

The mentor spotted a thrush in a tree not too far away. He gestured to it and Dawnpaw followed his gaze. She swiftly darted up a tree and leaped at the bird before it could fly away. She landed on the ground moment later with the dead bird. She dropped in next to the mouse and searched for more prey.

Redshade sighed and did the same. He desperately wanted to help the she-cat get a personality again but he had no idea how.

The Thunderclan warrior scanned the trees and ground for any prey. He quickly saw a mouse scurrying across the ground and crawled up closer to it. Without hesitation, he pounced at just the right moment and landed on the rodent, killing it a second later.

He turned back to Dawnpaw who was after another mouse. He watched as she pounced after it but the mouse managed to get away and dive into a whole in the ground. The apprentice scowled for a moment and turned back to her mentor, completely emotionless once again.

"Okay, that's enough for one day." Redshade grabbed some of the prey they caught and Dawnpaw took the rest of it and they walked back to camp.

When they got back to camp, the two dropped their prey into the fresh-kill pile.

"Go change the elders bedding and that can be it for the day," Redshade said to the young cat. She walked away to the elders' den without saying a word.

And suddenly, Redshade felt exhausted.

_I wish I knew what to do about her. _

The red warrior saw his friends Tigerstripe and joined the striped tom by the warriors' den. "Another good day of training, I see," the warrior said when Redshade walked over.

Tigerstripe was the only warrior Redshade told about his friends at Windclan aside from his sister. He also knew about his troubles with Dawnpaw. Redshade happened to be the only warrior in Thunderclan with an apprentice. That also meant it was very likely that Dawnpaw had no friends. Except for maybe Fernpetal or Thornear since they were the newest warriors.

"Yeah," Redshade sighed when he sat down next to his friend. "So how are you doing?" he wanted to change the subject.

"I'm fine," the tom replied flatly. "I noticed Thistlescar got a few new scars from that battle with Windclan," he randomly mentioned.

"He seems to _like _getting scars-" Redshade replied. "- he has so many." Redshade personally didn't like the deputy that much.

"Speaking of that battle, are you glad you didn't go?" Tigerstripe asked.

Redshade shrugged. "Yeah I guess. But I think the whole thing was just weird."

"What do you mean?"

Redshade looked at the tom instead of the ground like he was doing before. "Think about it; how often do you get _warned _about an attack?"

Tigerstripe tilted his head. "Yeah you're right… Not very often."

"Hawkstar gets a visit from some mysterious cat that no one recognized. The cat tells him that Windclan will attack. Hawkstar just sent the weaker warriors because he wasn't sure if it was a trick or not. But it turns out, he was right! Windclan attacked and Hawkstar was only prepared because we were warned. Isn't that weird?"

Tigerstripe stared into space for a moment. "Yeah it is… I wonder who that cat was… I wonder how he knew. What was the point?"

Redshade shook his head. "I have no idea. I wish all of this would just stop; I'd like to go a few days without having to worry about attacking or being attacked for once."

"I know what you mean," Tigerstripe agreed. "I can't help but feel like something big is going to happen soon. Do you get that feeling?"

"Yeah… " Redshade stared at nothing as he thought about it. "How do you think that cat even knew Windclan would attack?"

"I don't know," the striped tom admitted. "Maybe he did something to Windclan that would make them attack."

Redshade laughed quietly. "If he wanted Windclan to attack us, why would he warn us about it?"

"Good point. Now that would be weird."

The two friends laughed until the scarred deputy walked over to interrupt. "Redshade, you just came back from hunting right?" The large toms' voice was deep and somewhat frightening.

"Yeah, with Dawnpaw," the red tom answered quickly.

Thistlescar turned to Tigerstripe. "Mosspelt is leading a hunting party." He didn't need to say anymore since Tigerstripe already knew the deputy wanted him to join.

Tigerstripe stood up. "Alright, I'll go find her." Redshades' friend walked away and so did the deputy, leaving Redshade alone.

It was strange how Redshade could feel so alone in his own camp; his home. He sometimes felt like nowhere was safe. Like he needed to be on constant alert anywhere he went.

Redshade stood up, tired once again. He walked into the warriors' den to get some sleep; to escape for just a little while.

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Later that day, Icefur met with Ashstar again. He told her that the mentors of Rainpaw and Stonepaw both agreed the two were ready to become warriors. Leopardflower and Sunclaw thought it was overdue, actually.

"Let all cats' old enough to catch their own prey gather beneath the Tallrock for a clan meeting."

Icefur and the other Windclan members gathered.

"Stonepaw, step up." The young, light grey tom jumped onto the Tallrock and looked at the leader with excitement.

"I, Ashstar, call upon my warrior ancestors to look down on this apprentice. He has trained hard to understand the ways of your noble code, and I commend him to you as a warrior in his turn. Do you promise to uphold the warrior code and protect and defend your clan, even at the cost of your own life?"

"I do," Stonepaw replied while managing to keep his excitement under control.

"Then by the powers of Starclan, I give you your warrior name. From this moment, you will be known as Stonepath for your ability to make the right choices." Ashstar rested his muzzle on Stonepaths' head and he licked the leaders shoulder.

Stonepath got out of the way as Rainpaw jumped up next. Then Ashstar repeated himself as part of the ceremony.

"Do you promise to uphold the warrior code and protect and defend your clan, even at the cost of your own life?" He asked the dark grey she-cat.

"I do." She replied calmly was her joy shown through her eyes.

"Then by the powers of Starclan, I give you your warrior name. From this moment, you will be known as Rainblossom for your thoughtfulness and care." The new warrior licked Ashstars' shoulder when he rested his muzzle on her head.

"Stonepath, Rainblossom! Stonepath, Rainblossom!" The cats under the Tallrock chanted the names of the two new warriors before they stepped down together.

"You both will sit the silent vigil tonight," Ashstar added. "Clan meeting dismissed."

Their friends and family mobbed Stonepath and Rainblossom. Icefur noticed the other apprentices were there too. They all congratulated the two.

Sunclaw and Leopardflower approached them once they crowed died down a little. "Both of you should get something to eat before the vigil starts," Leopardflower said. She was obviously proud.

"We'll tell you when it's time," Sunclaw said after. The four of them walked over to the fresh-kill pile together to talk.

Icefur smiled to herself. With everything that's happened, it seemed like things were going to get better. At it was about to get better.

The deputy noticed a group of cats gather near the medicine cat den. There was about six of them and they all looked happy about something. She walked over to see what was happening.

"Hey, what's going on?" Icefur asked when she joined the group. There was Heatherwish, Flowerfrost, Silverstone, Blackspot, Moonheart and Brightfire.

The cats seemed overjoyed by something; almost too happy to contain it. Flowerfrost was the one to answer. "I'm expecting kits!" She told the deputy with pure excitement.

Icefur glanced over to the medicine cat who nodded. "That's great" Icefur exclaimed. "Who's' the father?

The she-cats all turned to Blackspot who smiled awkwardly.

"That's awesome news," the white she-cat said again. "Congratulations!"

Things were really looking up. Icefur and Shadowthorns' plan to change the clans for the better, Stonepath and Rainblossom getting their warrior names and Flowerfrost expecting kits; life was getting pretty good.

Who knows? Icefur thought to herself. Maybe this time, it'll last.

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**A/N: So… What do you think will happen next? Will Icefur actually follow through on her fathers plan? Will the identity of the mysterious cat who helped out Thunderclan ever be reveled? What's going on with Dawnpaw? Will things actually get better for Icefur? Or worse?**

**And in case it was noticed, near the end of this chapter, I started messing up the spelling in a lot of words for some reason. I think I fixed the errors but I could have missed some… it's getting late.**

**Also, do you like the names Stonepath and Rainblossom? I was really at a loss for name ideas… I don't think they're bad but what do you thing?**

**Well please take a moment to review and tell me what you think.**

**Have a nice day~**


	39. Realization

_Chapter 39_

When Icefur woke up the next day, she was shocked at what she saw. The white warrior found herself in the middle of a forest. She has seen parts of Thunderclans' forest and Shadowclans' forest but she didn't recognize the area at all.

There was a light mist in the air and she was only able to see the trees around her; the distance was covered in shadows.

A creeping feeling came over her. Icefur decided it was time to get out of wherever she was and she started walking which quickly turned into a run. As she ran through the forest that seemed to go on forever, Icefur got the feeling that others get when they're being chased by something. She had the fear of being caught.

And somehow, everything began to feel familiar. Like she ran through the same forest once a long time ago but she couldn't place when or where the memory was from.

The trees surrounding her soon disappeared when Icefur entered a clearing. The clearing was filled with cats, all looking up at a large tree in the center.

Realization hit her as she remembered when she saw the same group of cats, the same forest, the same everything in a dream.

She remembered the dream she once had a long time ago as a kit; the night her parents supposedly died. And then she realized it was just another dream.

Icefur woke up with a start and breathed heavily, glancing around her.

_It was all a dream; _she thought to herself and sighed with relief.

She was back in camp, lying down in her nest. The she-cat looked up at the sky; it was dawn. _I need to set up a dawn patrol… _The deputy wanted to get her mind off of the dream but didn't get up. She didn't really want to re-live it but thought back to last night anyway.

She knew she had the dream before many moons ago but the last one was longer and more realistic. It seemed like her resent dream was more like a memory then an actual dream.

Icefur tried reaching deep inside her thoughts to remember the first dream she had, looking for any differences. Then she recalled hearing a voice in the older one but couldn't remember what it said.

She shrugged and stood up. Icefur had an aching feeling that whatever she heard before was important but just couldn't remember…

"Oh well," she muttered under her breath and started forming up a dawn patrol.

The deputy spotted Runningshade and knew she would like to lead a patrol. The warrior was black and her belly and ears were grey. She also had a scar running down her front leg; Icefur asked about it as an apprentice.

She walked up to the black she-cat and said, "Good morning." Runningshade looked like she had just woken up. "Would you like to lead the dawn patrol?" Icefur knew it was rare for a warrior to say no to a border patrol but she always asked anyway. Telling or commanding never felt right.

"I'd love to," Runningshade brightened up. "Who else will be going?"

Icefur turned around and glanced through the camp. "Uh, Blackspot, Rowanpelt-" She paused when she saw Rockpaw walk into the area. She looked for his mentor Snowpelt but figured he was still sleeping. _If his apprentice is awake at dawn, he should be too, _she thought to herself with a smile. "- Snowpelt and Rockpaw." She turned back to Runningshade.

The warrior nodded. "Alright, I'll gather them up." She padded away to the other warriors.

The white she-cat spun around when she heard another voice talk to her. It was Sunclaw. "Hello Icefur," the small orange tabby said.

"Hello. How are you doing?"

"I'm fine," Sunclaw sighed. He sounded like he would rather still be asleep. "Have you seen Rockpath and Rainblossom?"

Icefur almost gasped. She had completely forgotten about the new warriors. "No I haven't seen them," she replied calmly. She didn't want to sound like the kind of deputy that forgets about the two newest warriors.

"Alright then-" Sunclaw cut himself off. "Oh never mind, I see them." He was looking past the white cat. She followed his gaze to the brother and sister who where sitting half awake by the medicine cat den. "I need to tell them they can get some rest now. See you later," the orange tom said and ran past her.

Icefur watched as he briefly spoke to the two cats and they thankfully walked off to their new nests to get some sleep after the long night. A warriors' vigil was never easy; Icefur knew that all too well.

Icefur stood where she was for a moment. The air was cold and there was a gentle breeze flowing through camp. Icefur missed warmth…

The other clans don't know how good they have it, having dens. But in a way, Windclan had it pretty good too. They were there closest clan to Starclan since they're the only clan to sleep under the stars. At least, that's what everyone says.

Without thinking, Icefur idly walked into the medicine cat den. Since the battle, she hasn't gotten much time to visit Bramblestripe and Stormtooth. When she walked in, the white she-cat wasn't too surprised to see both the warriors were asleep on the nests. Heatherwish and Nightpaw were wide-awake though.

"Hi," Nightpaw welcomed cheerfully. "What brings you here?"

"I just wanted to see how Stormtooth and Bramblestripe are doing," Icefur told the apprentice. Heatherwish, who was sorting herbs, joined them.

"Bramblestripe is doing fine," the medicine cat answered. "She will be well enough to leave the den soon enough."

"Stormtooth has been doing better then we expected," Nightpaw spoke up with a more serious tone. "He's still badly injured but he's still alive so… that's a good sign." The dark grey tom gave a nervous smile.

Icefur walked over to her sleeping friend. She assumed Bramblestripes' only problem was loss of blood. After a lot of rest, she should be fine.

Then she turned to her mentor. Stormtooths' wound stretched from his neck to belly. She didn't want to think about how close to death he was but was unable to keep the thoughts out. She didn't realize that her expression became very worried.

The tortoiseshell she-cat noticed this. "There is no point in worrying about them," Heatherwish said in a soft voice.

Icefur wasn't sure how to respond so she just nodded and walked out after saying good-bye.

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Considering what Icefur has gone through recently, the day went by smoothly. She ordered some hunting patrols and let Maplepaw go hunting with her brother after he returned from the border patrol. She had to be reminded of how much energy Rockpaw seemed to have. The deputy constantly hoped he wasn't overworking himself.

By Sunhigh, the wind got stronger and the air got a bit warmer. Icefur made time to relax in the sunlight for a while as well but had to admit that she was bored.

Not long after Sunhigh, Breezetail ran into Icefur. "Hey I was thinking; you want to go hunting with me?"

Icefur didn't even have to think about her answer for speaking. She hasn't left camp all day and was glad to hunt with her friend. "Sure," she replied with a smile.

In the corner of her eye, Icefur saw Rockpath and Rainblossom walk through camp so she called them over.

"Shouldn't you two still be sleeping? " Icefur asked the new warriors.

"Probably," Rockpath said with a shrug. "But we're fine."

Icefur doubted that but went along with it anyway. If she told them to get more rest, it probably wouldn't do any good. "In that case, want to go hunting with us?" Icefur turned to Breezetail. "Would that be okay?"

Breezetail hesitated for a second before cheering up again. "No problem."

"Great." The deputy looked at the warriors again.

They exchanged a glance. "Alright," Rainblossom said casually and the four of them left camp.

When the group got to a good hunting area out in the moor, they split up and began searching for prey.

While they hunted, the four warriors didn't speak much. Every time someone did, it was usually to complement someone else's catch or to tease them when they lost it. Breezetail seemed to linger around Icefur while hunting and tried starting a conversation several times but each ended in silence when she started concentrating or when Breezetail saw some prey.

Stonepath and Rainblossom managed to catch some prey too even though they talked for half the time. Icefur had to remind the young warriors to focus on more then one occasion.

Icefur caught two rabbits. Breezetail caught a rabbit and two mice. Rainblossom caught a sparrow and two rabbits and Stonepath caught a rabbit and a bird.

Overall, the hunting went well. When it was getting harder to find any prey, Icefur called the others over with their prey.

"I think we should call it a day," the deputy said while looking up at the sky. The sun was beginning to go down.

Stonepath nodded, "Yeah let's go back to camp."

"Why can't we just sit here for a moment?" Rainblossom complained and sat down. "It's such a nice evening. Let's enjoy it."

Breezetail glanced at Icefur. "Uh okay," he said with a shrug. "We don't usually sit out here after hunting though."

Icefur smiled. "I think it's a great idea."

"So the gathering is tomorrow," Stonepath mentioned as he sat down with the others, trying to start a conversation.

"Oh yeah," Icefur muttered. "I forgot about that."

"How could you possible forget about a gathering?" Rainblossom teased. "I can't wait to go to my first gathering as a warrior."

Icefur sighed and Breezetail spoke up. "At the last battle with Thunderclan, didn't Hawkstar announce war?"

Icefur was startled. "How did you hear about that?"

He tried to hide his smile. "Things get around. Anyway, I wonder how the other clans will react?"

"They'll probably join in," Stonepath groaned. "It'll probably be a 'Windclan and Riverclan verses Thunderclan and Shadowclan' sort of thing."

"That would be my guess," Icefur replied and her ear twitched in exhaustion from the thought. "The whole forest in war… This can't be good."

"Yeah but Ashstar is always trying to stop things like this. Why wouldn't he stop the war?" Rainblossom asked the others.

"He told me that he's tired of sitting back and doing nothing," Icefur answered. Before she could say more, Breezetail stepped in.

"Well we can't just watch the clans kill themselves."

Icefur thought for a moment. "No," she began. "No we can't…" Icefur stared into space, stuck in her own thoughts.

Stonepath noticed it was almost Sundown. "We should get back to camp."

The four warriors returned to Windclan camp and left their prey in the fresh-kill pile after grabbing some for themselves. After that, Stonepath and Rainblossom left and Icefur sat down to eat with Breezetail.

After she finished the rabbit she was eating, she had to leave again.

"What?" Breezetail asked. "Go where?"

"Uh, just for a walk," Icefur replied with a forced smile.

Breezetail wasn't convinced. "Alright, you don't have to tell me if you really don't want to," he sighed and started to turn around. Icefur jumped in his way.

"I promise to tell you later, alright?"

"Alright." He still didn't seem too satisfied.

Icefur realized this was the second time she promised to tell someone about her meetings. The first was with Redshade but did that one really count? At the time, she promised to tell him about meeting Cloudheart at the Moonstone but she assumed she would need to tell him the reason too.

Pushing the thoughts aside, Icefur left camp as the sun was going down to meet with Shadowthorn.

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It was much darker by the time Icefur reached Fourtrees. Every time she came, she always worried if someone else would come and notice her scent. She had no idea if other cats' came to Fourtrees before the gatherings.

She saw her father waiting for her in a tree. When she appeared, he jumped down and greeted the white she-cat. "So did you decide?" He was referring to the night before when he asked her to spend the day thinking about her decision to take over the clans.

She wondered why he didn't bother to say hello. "Yeah I did," she replied. "The clans are about to start a war. I can't sit back and let it happen."

Shadowthorn smiled. "We'll stir things up before that can happen," he answered and sat down. "Anyway, we need to discus part one of my plan."

"Okay," Icefur said and sat down with him. "Are you ever going to tell me the whole plan?"

"I'll tell you everything when the time comes."

Icefur sighed and her father continued. "I have friends, Icefur. Other cats who agreed with what I was doing when I was a Windclan warrior. But in the struggle, they were killed." Icefur wondered why he was telling her this. "But I can still talk to them. They visit me from Starclan and we planned everything out."

"Do the other Starclan cats know?"

"I don't think so but they could learn our plans at any moment.

"There is one from each clan. The first part of the plan is to have them visit the other leaders in their dreams. This will also stop the fighting. The leaders will forget about the war to focus on this and they will do what the Starclan cats' tell them," Shadowthorn explained farther. "The Starclan cats' will convince them that it is time to combine the clans and that you, Icefur, are the one to lead them all."

"I don't think it'll be that easy," Icefur said with a frown.

"I know," Shadowthorn said plainly. "You will have to help convince them too. But that's for later. Right now, before we can do any of this, I need you to do something very important."

Icefur began to get an uneasy feeling. "And what's that?" She was almost afraid to ask.

"I need you to become leader of Windclan. You need to kill Ashstar."

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**A/N: Dun, dun, Dunnnn! Thoughts? What do you think Icefur will do? What will happen next? I'll start writing the next chapter tomorrow but I have plans so I don't know when it'll get uploaded.**

**Also, good news! I am very close to getting a laptop. Yes, I have to buy it myself. But I only need about 100 more dollars to do it and I'm hoping my parents will chip in. So once I get a laptop, chapters will come up much more often: maybe even every day like they did back in the good ol' days.**

**So yeah. Please leave a review and let me know what you think. Don't be shy; the more reviews, the faster I will write. **

**Have a nice day~**


	40. Life's Difficulties

_Chapter 40_

"I need you to become leader of Windclan. You need to kill Ashstar."

Icefur was speechless. I mouth opened slightly, wanting to reply but couldn't.

_Kill Ashstar? _She thought to herself in horror. She refused to even imagine in. Kill one of the cats she has looked up to since he let her join the clan? Just to take his place as leader and follow Shadowthorns' plan.

An ominous breeze found its way through the trees and broke the silence as it pushed the branches and leaves around them. Icefur opened and closed her mouth several times before finally recovering her voice.

"I can't," she muttered meekly then spoke again with more emotion. "I refuse! How could you ask me to kill my leader?" She asked, suddenly angry.

Shadowthorn spoke calmly, trying to keep Icefur from exploding any farther. "If you don't become leader soon, many more cats will die."

"I know," she said quieter. "But I can't- I won't kill Ashstar."

The brown and black tom narrowed his eyes. "You can't let your personal feeling interfere. You must see the plan through to the end. Sacrifice is necessary." Icefur could tell Shadowthorn was trying not to raise his voice.

Icefur shook her head. "Even if I tried, I wouldn't be able to pull it off. It's too risky anyway. I'd get exiled," Icefur added only for the sake of Shadowthorn. She sounded like she actually considered killing the Windclan leader but the thought just made her feel sick.

Shadowthorn looked at the ground in front of his paws to think. Finally, he looked back up at Icefur. "Very well," he sighed, obviously unpleased. "I wont force you but I'll have to change the plan because of your stubbornness." He didn't bother hiding the ice in his voice. "When I'm ready, I'll find a way to contact you."

Shadowthorn turned around and disappeared into the forest, leaving Icefur alone. When he was gone, Icefur let out a huge sigh of relief. She turned the other way and quickly made her way out of the forest. As she wandered the moor, the white warrior looked at the sky; the moon and stars were shining brightly. Looking at the sky, everything seemed so much simpler.

Icefur took her eyes away and walked back to camp.

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The deputy woke to the call of a clan meeting. She looked around and noticed everyone was already gathered under the tall rock and she was the only one in a nest. "Why can't someone wake me up?" she quietly groaned and rushed to join the others.

"Tonight is the gathering," Ashstar said from the Tallrock. "The cats who will join me are Icefur, Heatherwish, Rainblossom, Stonepath, Runningshade, Rowanpelt, Flowerfrost, Dustfoot, Silverstone and Blackspot.

"Those who were called, get some rest for the gathering." Ashstar ended the meeting and jumped down from the Tallrock. Icefur was about to go speak with her friends but he came to her first. "I would like to discus the gathering," he said flatly and she joined him near the Tallrock once everyone scattered.

"As you know," he started as he sat down in the shade. "Hawkstar decided to start a war. I have no doubt this will be the main topic of tonight's' gathering. We have to be prepared for what might happen."

Icefur hesitated before responding, afraid she was about to ask something stupid but spoke anyway. "And uh, what _do _we expect to happen?"

"Shadowclan and Riverclan will choose sides and I have a feeling the gathering will end shorter then usual." Icefur nodded. _I could have figured that out, _she thought to herself, slightly irritated that she didn't think about it before talking.

"So just tell the others to be prepared." Tired of the conversation, Ashstar left and so did Icefur.

The deputy went back to her nest. She was still groggy from the night before and wondered if anyone noticed she lacked sleep.

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Grateful for the extra sleep, Icefur jumped up when it was time to leave for the gathering. She woke up earlier; in the time, she set up some patrols and hunting parties but made sure to stay in camp.

The deputy joined the others near the camp exit. By the time they left, it was already dark and there wasn't a single cloud in the sky, which was always a good sign.

On the way, Icefur struck a conversation with Rowanpelt who was as laid back as ever.

"So what do you think about this war?" the ginger warrior asked.

Icefur sighed. "I wish it wasn't happening."

"Heh, Don't we all?" He dropped the conversation and wanted to change it but had trouble thinking of another topic. Icefur assumed he didn't want to talk to anything that would stress her out but in way, there wasn't much to talk about except for the clan and as deputy, everything about the clan stressed her out. In the silence, she reminded to warn everyone about what to expect at the gathering like Ashstar asked her too.

In a way, she was glad when the clan finally arrived at Fourtrees. It was strange how she had been there just last night, unlike everyone else.

The clan settled themselves under the trees. Ashstar jumped onto the high branches and Icefur found her new position at the base, closer then the warriors. Already there was Riverclan and Thunderclan. The other deputies gave Icefur suspicious glances but didn't say anything.

Shadowclan came not long after. The four clans stayed to themselves instead of combining together like they should on full moons.

The leaders were quick to start. Ashstar was the first to speak. "Welcome to the gathering," he started from above. "On behalf of Windclan, I will speak first.

"They prey has gotten much better since leaf bare. We have two new warriors to the clan, Stonepath and Rainblossom." Only Windclan and Riverclan chanted their names.

"Stonepath, Rainblossom, Stonepath, Rainblossom!"

"Also, Hollytail was killed and replaced by Icefur as Windclans' new deputy. Hollytail was attacked but we never found out by who."

Windclan and Riverclan cheered over Icefur becoming the deputy. All eyes were on here and honesty, she felt extremely awkward.

Ashstar continued. "We found the scent of Thunderclan in out camp a while ago but they already know about that."

"I already told you; no Thunderclan cat stepped in your territory," Hawkstar hissed.

"Then how did you know we would attack?" Ashstar demanded instantly.

"Call it a hunch," the Thunderclan leader growled. "I expect nothing less from Windclan."

Voices from Windclan rose up in anger but Featherstar was quick to end it. "If you two would let the other leaders speak…" She waited a moment and no one spoke. "We don't have any new warriors but Silverheart is expecting kits. There are many fish in the river. Also, Shadowclan warriors have been seen dangerously close to out borders." Wolfstar muttered something but didn't speak out.

Icefur wondered what Shadowclan would be doing near Riverclan if they don't even share a border. She wasn't sure if the Riverclan leader was finished but Wolfstar eventually started speaking.

"Shadowclan has two new apprentices; Oakpaw and Leafpaw. Rainshadow and Mistystripe are their mentors." Icefur noted the name Rainshadow but didn't react. "With the prey returning, Shadowclan has grown stronger. Leaf bare was difficult but he powered through."

Wolfstar looked like he wanted to say something more but kept quiet. That's when the Thunderclan cat continued. "The attack from Windclan wasn't as damaging as they were hoping," he started, taking the spotlight. "But near the end of the fight, I decided that we must take this a step farther; it's time for war between the clans! This cannot be avoided any longer."  
All the clans broke into an uproar.

"I agree," Wolfstar of Shadowclan broke in, silencing the cats with his powerful voice. "It's time to take action!"

War was the last thing the Riverclan leader wanted but she couldn't say anything against it. "If you all feel so strongly on this, they let it be war. But Shadowclan and Thunderclan will regret it!"

"You two will be taught a lesson," Ashstar said calmly but with a deep growl. "You will learn that Shadowclan and Thunderclan do not own this forest; you are not free to treat the borders like nothing!" Icefur was not expecting Ashstar to say that and she doubted anyone else was either.

Almost like Ashstar said a trigger work, anger erupted around Fourtrees. They began arguing which soon turned into fighting,

"Not again," Icefur moaned. Seconds later, she was thrown off her paws when another deputy crashed into her. "What was that for?" she yelled through the noise and didn't get an answer. The deputy who fell onto her was Frostheart. The light blue she-cat didn't spare Icefur a glance. The Shadowclan cat was too wrapped up in a fight with Bluefoot.

Icefur fearfully searched the area for the last deputy, Thistlescar, but he was somewhere else.

Sitting in the middle of Fourtrees, watching the battle unfold, Icefur knew she had to get Windclan out of the area before anyone got hurt.

Before she could act, the deputy saw clouds appear out of nowhere and cover the trees in moments. And those clouds just happened to bring a storm.

It began raining lightly. The water caught the attention of every cat who was fighting and warned them to leave. In just moments, the clan cats began clearing out of the area towards their territories. Icefur joined the Windclan cats and fled into the moor.

_Well that went well, _the white she-cat thought sarcastically to herself as she and the Windclan warriors returned to camp in the rain.

Wary and slow, Icefur and the rest of Windclan got back to camp in time for the rain to stop. Everything was wet which was a downside to living out in the open.

The first thing the she-cat wanted to do was go to her nest, wet or not, and lay down. On her way there, she was shaken out of her tiredness when she heard a familiar voice that she hasn't heard if a while.

"Icefur!" The deputy spun around to see Bramblestripe inside the medicine cat den looking at her with a smile. Icefur ran into the den to greet her friend. When she walked in, she saw Stormtooth was still sleeping away. She tried not to look at his gruesome wound for too long.

"I'm so glad I caught you," Bramblestripe exclaimed. She was looking much better from last time Icefur saw her awake. "How was the gathering?"

She didn't want to talk about it. "Forget it. How are you doing? You've been asleep for days."

"I'm feeling much better now. Thanks for Heatherwish and Nightpaw." The medicine cat apprentice was sound asleep in his nest while Heatherwish looked up from grooming her fur after getting soaked. "You're still not well enough to continue your warrior duties but you won't have to wait long now," the tortoiseshell replied.

Bramblestripe nodded and looked back at her friend. "So really, how was the gathering?"

"Awful," Icefur said with a sigh. Awful wasn't the right word to describe it but she was too tired to worry about it.

Bramblestripe tilted her head. "That's too bad," she meowed. "What happened?"

"A fight broke out after the leaders talked about the war."

"Of course," the striped she-cat said and rolled her eyes. "I guess it's a good think Breezetail and I didn't go."

"Did you talk to him?" She asked, glad to have a new topic.

"Yeah I found him a while ago. He seemed disappointed he wasn't chosen to go to the gathering but I bet he'll feel better after he hears what happened." Thinking about Breezetail, Icefur doubted it. He loved being in the heat of battle.

Bramblestripe turned away and yawned. "Tired?" Icefur asked.

"Yeah," she admitted. "I better get back to sleep."

"Me too," the deputy said. "I'll talk to you later. Goodnight." Bramblestripe returned to good-bye and Icefur went back to her nest.

When she sat down, she started thinking back. The night before seemed to long ago but the day went by so quickly. Icefur saw Ashstar walking through the camp.

_No matter what happens, I refuse to kill Ashstar._ She wondered if she was making the right choice. Icefur could never harm the leader in any way but with the war starting, cats were going to die. _Am I really just being stubborn?_

She shook her head. _Even if I'm being stubborn, I don't care. I can't kill him. I wont._ Holding onto these thoughts, Icefur drifted into sleep.

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**A/N: It's been a while since your last gathering.**

**1. I wanted to get this out sooner but this is the last week of the school quarter, thus the busiest. **

**2. I know this whole chapter seems rushed and maybe too short. I didn't intend on that to happen but just like Icefur, I am tired.**

**3. Gee, a lot of you didn't want Icefur to kill Ashstar. Of course, who can blame you? Ashstar is pretty cool. ^^**

**I'm having trouble with what to do next… I have everything planned out but I don't know if I want to just go along with it or put in a few fillers. It seems too soon…. Oh well… I don't want this story to be too long. The way things are going, it'll most likely go into the 50s. I don't to lose readers because of its length. :\**

**Please review and I hoped you liked it.**

**Have a nice day~**


	41. Distractions

_Chapter 41_

A few days have gone by since Icefur last saw her father. Shadowthorn told her he would contact her when he made a new plan but she has yet to notice anything.

When Icefur woke up, she was one of the first. She was starting to get a good sleeping habit back after so many late nights.

As the deputy walked through the camp, the medicine cat came over to her. "Icefur, I have good news," Heatherwish meowed with a welcoming smile. Icefur waited for her to tell her what it is. "Bramblestripe has healed quickly; I think she's ready to start hunting again."

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Icefur kept her eyes locked on the forest as she and Bramblestripe walked past. The two she-cats agreed to go hunting together around Sunhigh after she learned about her friends' recovery. . Bramblestripe was idly looking around while staying at her friends' side for prey. They were near the border between Shadowclan and Riverclan; Icefur chose the spot.

The heat of the sun warmed the air but there was still the cool, strong breeze that blown through the moor which cut into the warmth.

"Did you find anything yet?" Bramblestripe asked, as she tasted the air. Icefur didn't answer. She was still staring intensely into the forest. "Icefur!"

"Wha-?" Icefur muttered with a start when Bramblestripe broke her out of her trance.

"Did you find anything?" Bramblestripe repeated now looking at the white she-cat.

"Uh no." The deputy turned back to the forest. She heard Bramblestripe sigh warily and she turned back to her again. "I'm sorry," she started, "I guess I just have a lot on my mind."

The striped she-cat thought for a moment and sat down in the windy moor. "You've been focusing on the forest ever since the gathering," Bramblestripe pointed out. "You're worried about an attack, aren't you?"

Icefur took a moment to register what she said before turning to her once again and sitting down. "Yeah that's it," she lied and then added, "I'm surprised no one attacked yet, actually."

"Don't worry, I'm sure they will soon," Bramblestripe said with a smile to show she was kidding. "It will be fine. Let's just keep hunting." Icefur nodded and they both stood up and kept walking.

Icefur managed to catch the scent of a rabbit thanks to the breeze and turned in its direction. Breamblestripe walked off somewhere else. Icefur followed the breeze to the rabbit and soon saw it sitting in the grass.

She got a good grip on the ground and pushed herself forward and dashed across the moor. The rabbit noticed and started running away but the deputy quickly caught up and killed the rabbit in a heartbeat and carried it back to where Bramblestripe was.

"Hey good catch," Bramblestripe said when she walked back to Icefur. "I saw you running. We're so close to the forest; I got a mouse." Bramblestripe looked down at the dead mouse at her paws.

"Great," Icefur meowed and turned to search for more prey. Bramblestripe picked up the mouse. "Let's find a new spot," she murmured through her teeth. Before Icefur could argue, Bramblestripe started walking closer to the Shadowclan border and Icefur reluctantly followed after picking up the rabbit.

When Bramblestripe was satisfied with the new area, she buried the mouse and wandered around for more prey. Icefur did the same.

Windclan owned a small area of trees just before the Thunderpath. In those trees, Icefur spotted a mouse. A scanned over the Thunderpath, hoping no Monsters would roar by as she tried to catch the mouse and scare it away.

Icefur crouched down and threw herself forward at the mouse in the distance. With hits good hearing, the mouse heard her coming and ran away. It ran towards the Thunderpath but turned and ran by the edge instead across the black path. Icefur didn't want to get too close to the border but she ran after the mouse.

With no warning, the mouse turned and ran across the Thunderpath. Icefur would have followed without thinking if a Monster didn't dart across the path first. She froze in place and watched the prey run to safety. Icefur moaned and walked back to Bramblestripe.

Her friend also returned with a rabbit in her jaws and set it by her paws. "You'll get the next one," she reassured.

Icefur smiled and nodded but sometimes the reassuring didn't help at all. Bramblestripes' attention was dragged away when she saw another mouse. It ran into the small area of forest before the Thunderpath just like the last one. The she-cat shot after it.

Icefur new how warped up in hunting Bramblestripe could get and watched carfully as she went after the mouse. Bramblestripe disappeared behind the trees. Icefur waited a moment before realizing and running after her.

Icefur got to the edge of WIndclans' trees and saw Bramblestripe run across the Thunderpath. "Bramblestripe!" Icefur yelled to her. "What are you doing, mousebrain!? Get back here!" When Bramblestripe didn't hear her, Icefur stepped onto the hard path and looked for any Monsters before running across the get her friend.

The deputy scurried across the Thunderpath and into Shadowclan territory. She paused when she got to the other side and looked through the trees for Bramblestripe. Her friend soon appeared. "I didn't catch it," she muttered with disappointed.

"We have to get across the Thunderpath," Icefur insisted.

"Why would we do that?" Bramblestripe tilted her head and frowned. "We would be trespassing."

Icefur just looked at her for a moment in search for any hint of sarcasm. "We _are _trespassing!"  
Bramblestripe realized where they were. "Great Starclan! Let's get out of here."

"Going somewhere?" Icefur and Bramblestripe froze when they heard a voice behind the trees.

"We were just leaving," Icefur said quickly.

"That's a shame," the voice said quietly and then Rainshadow emerged.

Bramblestripe sighed. "You scared us! We came here on accident; we're leaving."

"It would be awful if someone else found you," the Shadowclan tom said as he joined them by the path.

"Speaking of which," Icefur started. "How come you are always here every time we are?"

Rainshadow shrugged then looked up at the two she-cats and smiled. "It must be fate." His voice was soothing and calm. "So how are you doing over in Windclan?" He asked casually.

"We're fine," Bramblestripe replied plainly. She didn't want to give anything away or mention she hasn't left the camp in days because of an injury.

"That's nice. I got an apprentice a quarter moon ago-" Rainshadow added. "-Oakpaw."

Bramblestripe perked up. "Cool. I wish I had an apprentice." She glanced at Icefur who held in a chuckle.

"Don't look at me," the white she-cat told her. "I don't have the power to control when kits are born." Rainshadow laughed.

The conversation died and the three of them sat by the Thunderpath in silence. It was broken when a few more Monsters ran by. There was another heartbeat of silence before another voice came from the forest.

"Rainshadow! Where are you?" The Shadowclan tom hesitated for a moment. "Over here."

A small brown tom ran out of the trees, out of breath. "Rainshadow," he gasped. The young cat has obviously been running all over the territory. "We're being-" he pasued when he saw Icefur and Bramblestripe. "Who are they?" He cut himself off again. "No time! Rainshadow, we're being attacked by Riverclan!"

Rainshadow was suddenly alert. "Are you alright, Oakpaw? Did they get into the camp?" He demanded. When Oakpaw nodded, the warrior turned to the she-cats.

"It's time for me to go. I'll talk to you to another day." With that, the two Shadowclan cats left in a hurry back to their camp.

"We should go now too," Icefur said to her friend and they quickly got back on their territory.

"I hope Rainshadow is alright," Icefur heard Bramblestripe whisper when they were safely back in the moor.

"What?" Icefur asked without thought. In a way, it was a good thing Windclans' ally was attacking but he too wanted the tom to be okay. He was different from the other Shadowclan cats like Wolfstar and Bluefire.

Bramblestripe looked up at Icefur but didn't reply.

Icefur sighed and dug up the rabbit she caught earlier. "We should go back to camp now."

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Rainshadow and Oakpaw ran back to their camp through the thick trees and undergrowth. When the warrior came into the camp, it was true; Riverclan warriors were already storming inside. The first thing he did was run into the nursery but it was empty. The tom got an uneasy feeling but assumed the queens already fled.

The grey and blue warrior and ran outside and saw the medicine cat run into a den with two Riverclan warriors following. Rainshadow ran after to help out Firestripe.

Firestripe already knew a few attacks like all medicine cats but he wasn't skilled. The orange warrior swiped his claw past a warrior when he was cornered but the warrior easily dodged. The Riverclan cats were Crookedstem and Pinethorn.

Rainshadow jumped and landed on Crookedstem, the bigger of the two, and sank his claws into his pelt. Startled, Crookedstem jumped on his hind legs and tried to shake the Shadowclan cat off.

Firestripe tackled Pinethorn while he was distracted. While the Riverclan tom was fazed, the medicine cat ran out of the den.

Pinethorn got up and helped Crookedstep pry Rainshadow off. Before they could succeed, he leaped off the warrior and made some distance in the small den.

Crookedstep lashed at Rainstripe with his claws while the tom jumped back. Pinethorn came in right after and bit down on his leg. Rainshadow yelled in pain and tried to pull back.

Then Darkflower and Oakpaw came in and fought the Riverclan warriors out of the den.

"Are you okay?" Darkflower asked the tom. Rainshadow nodded and the three of them left the den.

The Riverclan warriors were still fighting but the number grew smaller. He saw the two leaders, Wolfstar and Featherstar, were fighting in the center of camp. He thought about assisting the Shadowclan leader but knew not to; leaders needed to have their own battles sometimes.

At the edge of camp, Rainshadow spotted Frostheart locked in a fight with Longpelt. He knew Longpelt was a very skilled Riverclan warrior. Frostheart was a good fighter too but she could use the help.

Rainshadow ran towards the two fighting cats. Before he made it, Longpelt landed a scratch on Frostheart. Actually, it was much worse then a scratch. He clawed the deputy down her side. Her fur around the wound turned red with her own blood

"Frostheart!" Rainshadow yelled when she went down. He kept running and tackled Longpelt with so much force; the wind was knocked out of the Riverclan tom. While Longpelt caught his breath, Rainshadow ran up to Frostheart who was trying to stand up.

"Stay down," he told the deputy.

"I'm not going to… take a nap while the clan is getting attacked," Frostheart replied stubbornly.

"You wont help anyone dead," the warrior said and looked around. "Firestripe!" I called. He didn't see the medicine cat but didn't have time to search for him.

Tongpelt got back on his paws and turned to Rainshadow. The Shadowclan cat noticed and turned to him.

Rainshadow moved first; I stepped forward and paused half way to Longpelt. Longpelt thought he was going to attack and lashed out with his claw. Before he realized Rainshadow tricked him, the Shadowclan tom jumped forward and pinned him down. Longpelt wiggled his hind legs free and kicked upwards, throwing Rainshadow off of him.

The blue and grey warrior landed on his feet and raked Longpelt across the muzzle. The Riverclan cat yowled with pain and clawed across Rainshadows' front paws. The tom jumped back onto his hind legs and that's when Longpelt clawed his belly when he left the spot open.

Rainshadow dropped onto his back, trying to endure the sharp sting and the taste of blood on his mouth.

He was somewhat surprised Longpelt left when he did. The Shadowclan cat was reminded that not every cat went for the kill. In fact, a lot of warriors never did.

He laid by Frostheart whose eyes were closed. He wasn't sure if she was awake but he knew the deputy was still alive.

His eyes got heavy and struggled to keep them open. Right before closing his eyes, Rainshadow saw the orange paws of the medicine cat step between him and the injured deputy.

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Icefur and Bramblestripe didn't talk much as they traveled back to Windclan camp. When they did get back, they set their prey down and Bramblestripe left while Icefur got some prey to eat. She quickly ate up a rabbit and sat by herself for a little, just thinking things through.

She sat by herself for a while before Breezetail came over and joined her. "Did you have fun?" He asked while he sat down across from Icefur.

The deputy shrugged. "Not really."

"What happened?" The tom asked the white she-cat. "I asked Bramblestripe but she just walked past me. I would expect her to be telling everyone about her first hunting trip in so long."

Icefur tilted her head. "She has a lot on her mind, I guess."

Breezetail nodded. "Okay. So what happened?"

Icefur thought about what exactly to tell the tom. "Well we heard Riverclan attacked Shadowclan while by the border.

Breezetail's eyes sparked with interest. "Really?"

"Yeah. She's just worried about them."

"I'm sure Riverclan will be fine. Featherstar knows what she's doing."

Icefur didn't trust herself not to say something stupid so she just stayed quiet. She didn't want to tell Breezetail that the cat his sister was worried about was from Shadowclan.

Icefur looked down at her paws for a moment. She looked back up when she sensed Breezetail looking at her.

The pale tom was looking right at her with a soft, trusting smile. Icefur smiled back; looking at him made her feel a little better. "Why are you looking at me like that?" She asked with a small laugh.

Breezetail looked startled. "Oh, I was looking at you strangely? Icefur laughed and the tom soon did too.

They were interrupted when Nightpaw ran up to Icefur. "Icefur, guess what?" the medicine cat apprentice said excitedly. Before she could answer, he kept going. "Stormtooth woke up!"

Icefur jumped up and ran past the apprentice and charged into the medicine cat den. Stormtooth was sitting in his nest, digging his claws into the dirt for no reason.

"Stormtooth!" She yelled when she saw her and surprised the tom. Stormtooth woke up many times before but was still not well enough to have a decent conversation so Icefur told Nightpaw to find her when he was getting better. Which also meant her mentor wasn't going to die.

She walked nest to him. "How are you feeling?" he asked, trying to keep from eyeing the wound on his neck down.

"Better," he said simple.

"Well that's good," Icefur told him. _That's really good._

The muscular brown tom stretched out his front legs before looking back at Icefur. "I hear a war has started."

Icefur didn't really want to descuse the war with her injured mentor. She didn't want to stress him out but she nodded.

"Well then… I hope I'm well enough to fight when the next battle comes."

Icefur forced a smile. She didn't want another time to come. She didn't want him to get even more hurt again. The deputy didn't want anyone to get hurt. "Riverclan is attacking Shadowclan right now," she blurted out without thinking.

"Huh… Last time Riverclan was in a battle, they had to ask for our help. Maybe they can handle themselves this time…" Stormtooth muttered sourly.

Icefur smiled. Good ol' Stormtooth. He was always so blunt and accusing.

Heatherwish walked into the den with her jaw full of herbs. She set them all by Stormtooth. She looked at them almost emotionlessly but Icefur caught a hint of disgust in the warriors' eyes.

"Well… Enjoy those," Icefur said cheerfully before stepping towards the den exit.

Heatherwish turned to her. "Thanks for visiting," the medicine cat said for Stormtooth before Icefur walked out.

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**A/N: It seems to me that you guys expressed your love for the last chapter more then most of the others. I didn't think 40 was that great but if you loved it, thank you very much! ^_^**

**If I had to guess, I would say I have about… 10 more chapters? That's a gritty rough estimate. Could be less, could be more. I can't say. But we still have the sequel to look forward too as well as my other story ideas. I wish I could write more then one at a time but I don't have the time right now.**

**So tell me what you thought! What happened to Rainshadow and Shadowclan? How's Riverclan doing? What does Shadowthorn have planned? **

**Have a nice day~**


	42. Monsters

_Chapter 42_

As they day past, the Windclan had no knowledge of how the battle between Riverclan and Shadowclan turned out. Everyone was curious but had to wait until someone tells them or until the next gathering.

Ashstar sat in the shade of the Tallrock and stared off into the distance where the border ended and where the forest began. He was shaken out of his thoughts when an old friend somehow came up to him. "Gravlestone?"

The brown and grey tom walked slowly and carefully up to the leader before sitting down. "Hello Ashstar."

"How did you get over here?" Ashstar never liked mentioning the elders' blindness since it happened.

"I've gotten used to it," Gravlestone said plainly. "I can tell you have a lot on you're mind."

Ashstar looked up at him in surprise. "How did you-"

"I've known you for so long; I can just tell."

Ashstar smiled like he was amused. Even when blinded, no one could fool the clever Gravelstone.

"I've been trying to work around the blindness," Gravlestone added. "Then perhaps I could still be useful."

Ashstar wasn't going to hide it. "In times like this, I could really use you," he sighed. "I wonder if… If I'm really doing the right thing."

"A war was about to start anyway; what else could you have done?"

Ashstar shook his head. "I could have stopped it. The other leaders don't have the sense to do it themselves. I fear I've been too caught up in all of this to think clearly."

Gravlestone looked at Ashstar even without being able to see him. "You need to do whatever you think is right. What is your gut telling you?"

"I'm not sure. I don't know what to listen to."

"Well you need to decide soon," the tom told him. "This war will not wait for you."

Gravlestone was right. Ashstar envied his friends wisdom. "I'll still need some time to think about it… I'm sure we can last a day without getting attacked."

"Maybe," Gravlestone shrugged and laid down facing his friend. "I wish I could stand by your side in battle but helping you here is all I can do."

Ashfur smiled. "Thank you Gravlestone. You have been a wonderful deputy… And you're not useless." The topic quickly changed. "Now all I need to decide now is what's best for the clan…"

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Icefur assigned herself the dawn patrol along with Sunclaw, Moonheart, Mudwhisker and Frostheart. Icefur wasn't too sure about letting Frostheart join since she was expecting kits and the deputy wasn't sure of the procedure for that. The she-cat insisted.

They were near the river, finishing the final stretch of the patrol. The wind was blowing hard in their ears and had to speak up just to hear themselves. Their eyesight got covered up if a cat had long fur and the wind blew the scent of the prey and the other clan cats in other directions. Home sweet home.

Icefur looked over the river into Riverclan territory. "I wonder how they're holding up after the battle," Icefur muttered to herself. Moonheart overheard.

"Riverclan is stronger then the other clans think. The battle probably ended in their favor."

Icefur nodded slowly. _Shadowclan isn't weak either _she thought and kept walking with the others.

"Everything seems clear here," Mudwhisker said who was leading the patrol. "Let's start heading back to camp." The others agreed and they started walking back to Windclan camp.

Sunclaw spotted a rabbit in the distance while they traveled and quickly said, "be right back" before dashing off. He chased the rodent for a short moment before catching up to it and killing it; Sunclaw was a fast warrior. He returned to the patrol with the rabbit in his jaw. He didn't eat it so he must have been planning to throw it in the fresh-kill pile when they returned.

Fighting the powerful wind, the patrol got back to camp not long after. Icefur left to find Ashstar while the others scattered. On her way to the leader, her apprentice ambushed her.

"Icefur!" Maplepaw yelled excitedly.

The white she-cat spun around in alarm from Maplepaws' sudden appearance. "What is it?"

"Rockpaw invited me to go hunting. Can I go?" Icefur wasn't sure what any other mentor would say but she just sighed and replied, "You don't have to ask every single time."

"You mean I can just go?" Maplepaw asked with astonishment.

"Yeah. Didn't I ever tell you that?" When Maplepaw shook her head, Icefur shrugged. "Well go have fun." Maplepaw cheered with joy. "Thanks!" The brown and white she-cat ran off to join her brother by the camp entrance. As she watched the cat leave, Icefur considered taking her out to practice battling moves later today.

Returning to her chore, Icefur turned around and snooped around the Tallrock for Ashstar. Instead, she saw him just coming into camp. He must have gone hunting since he had a rabbit and bird in his jaw. She walked up to him and waited for the leader to set the prey down before speaking.

"I returned from the dawn patrol," she informed him.

"How did it go?" Ashstar asked but it seemed his mind was off elsewhere.

"It went well," Icefur said in a tone that said silently added _for once_ at the end of her statement. "We found no trouble at the borders and Sunclaw caught some prey for the clan on the way back."

Ashstar nodded. "That's good. Now if you would excuse me, I have some things to decide." Ashstar walked away leaving Icefur wondering why he didn't say any more. She was the deputy and wanted to know why he didn't want her help with these decisions.

_Stop it, _she told herself. _It's not my business. _

Icefur shook her head, getting the thought out and looked around for something to occupy her mind. Then she she-cat noticed Rowanpelt walking up to her.

The ginger tom padded up to the deputy with his signature, relaxed smile. "Hey Icefur," he called to her. "How's it going?" He added in a quieter voice.

"Hi," she said, glad to see her friend. "It's going okay. How are you?"

The warriors' ear twitched. "I'm alright. Say, I want to talk to you about something."

"Sure," the white she-cat said and walked off to the side of the camp with the tom. "What is it?"

"This is going to seem really random," he warned her. "But you know I liked Cloudheart. Right? Like, really liked her." Rowanpelt wasn't a proud cat but Icefur couldn't help but wonder if it was hard for him to bring the topic up.

"Yeah, you told me. Remember?"

He nodded. "Do you think she loved me back?" Icefur noted it was the first time he used the word 'love.'

"I think she did," Icefur told him, thinking back to the days when her sister was still alive. "You two were always close; it was actually easy to see."

Rowanpelt smiled and closed his eye in a totally relaxed state like that was what he wanted to hear. "Thank you," he muttered and looked back at her. "So do you like anyone?"

Icefur was taken back by the question. "What?"

"I'm sorry," he said more awkwardly. If you don't want to tell me…"

"No it's not that," she said quickly. "But… I'm not in love with you if that's what you're thinking," Icefur said nervously.

Rowanpelt started at her for a heartbeat before breaking into laughter. "Why can't a tom ask that question without the she-cat getting suspicious?" He asked while getting himself back under control.

Icefur chucked. So you just want to because you're carious?" Rowanpelt nodded and Icefur thought about it for a moment. "I… I don't know. I don't think I really like anyone like that. And if I do, I've been too busy to notice." She smiled. "I've been too busy to put any thought into it."

Rowanpelt nodded. "Alright if you say so."

"Okay… Wait, what's that supposed to mean?"

Rowanpelt chucked and began backing up. "I'll talk to you later," and he was gone.

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"-And that's what she said." After speaking to Icefur, Rowanpelt moved over to the other side of camp and met up with Breezetail and told him everything that happened.

"Thanks for asking, Rowanpelt," Breezetail sighed.

"No offence but you're kind of being a coward about this," the ginger tom said in the most inoffensive way possible.

Breezetails' head dropped. "I know," he admitted. "I'm pathetic. Why is it so hard to talk to a she-cat?"

"You should just tell her how you feel," Rowanpelt muttered.

"I know I should. But I can't: not now. Not in the middle of a war," the pale grey tom mewed.

"Yeah, now isn't the time. She being deputy makes even worse on her part. Icefur must be so stressed," Rowanpelt agreed.

"At least she has Ashstar and the clan to back her up."

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It was right before Sunhigh when Maplepaw and Rockpaw returned from hunting. When the apprentices got back to camp, they immediately found the deputy while she was trying to enjoy a rabbit.

"Icefur, Icefur!" Maplepaw yelled through the camp at the sight of her with her brother following.

"What is it?" Icefur responded, wondering what they were freaking out over.

"We were hunting by the Shadowclan border and a cat there wanted to speak to Ashstar. So we told him we would run back here and tell him."

The deputy was suddenly alert. Who could it possible be? "Who was the Shadowclan cat?"

Maplepaw frowned. "I have no idea. I never met him before but he didn't cross the border and smelled like Shadowclan. He smelled pretty bad…"

Icefur thought about it for a moment. Ashstar leaving camp by himself to meet with an enemy cat may be dangerous but then again… "I'll go tell him." Icefur stood up after finishing her rabbit and started walking over to the Tallrock to find the leader. Her eyes narrowed when she realized the apprenticed were following her but she didn't complain.

She saw the grey tom was also eating but he was just finishing a mouse.

"Ashstar, we have news," the deputy said when she and the apprenticed came over. Ashstar just looked at them, basically asking her to explain.

"Rockpaw and Maplepaw went hunting by the Shadowclan border and met a Shadowclan cat who said he wanted to talk to you."

Ashstar, now more interested, sat up. "I'll go and see what this Shadowclan cat wants," he announced.

"What if it's a trap?"

"They can't outrun me," Ashstar said with a faint smile confidently. "Especially in my own territory."

Icefur was a bit reassured. "Alright. When will you leave?"

"Right now." Ashstar stood up and ate the rest of his mouse. "I'll be back later. After I see what he wants." The Windclan leader left the three cats and then the camp. Icefur watched as he walked away and thought about how awesome of a leader Ashstar really was.

She turned to the apprenticed. "Good job you two. You handled this well; now how about you check on the elders then get some rest?"

"Thank you Icefur," Rockpaw said respectfully before the two left.

The deputy idly wondered how close Ashstar was now to the Shadowclan border. And yet, there was still an unsettling feeling turning in her stomach. She managed to rest for a while but only heartbeats have past since he left.

If the Shadowclan just wanted to talk, that's fine. But what's the likelihood? It's most likely a trap; and Ashstar knows it to but wanted to go anyway. Icefur couldn't just wait for his return; unsure if he would come back fine or covered is scratches and blood. It was a good thing he still had a few lives. And she only knew that much because Heatherwish told her he had more then one life but never said how many.

Icefur made her decision; she would follow Ashstar and watch from a distance in case he needed help. "I got to be there for him if something goes wrong," she whispered to herself before taking a step forward to leave.

"I'm going with you." She froze. Someone overheard her thinking out loud. Icefur turned around to see a cat she wasn't expecting; Mudwhisker.

The brown tom was about her height but the way he stood made him seem bigger. He stood with much confidence and determination. "I know who you were talking about and I have to help."

"How did you even know about Ashstar leaving to meet someone?"

"I just happened to be in the right place at the right time," he said simply. Icefur would have said something about eavesdropping but she never felt right about scolding an older and more experienced cat.

"I don't have time to argue," she muttered. "Alright, let's go."

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The sun was starting its path to Sundown but wasn't even half way yet when the Shadowclan border was in sight. Was going alone really foolish? He wasn't sure. But whatever the Shadowclan cat wanted, it had to have something to do about the way; but what?

He wandered into the small bit of trees Windclan owned and looked around the area. The wind of the moor broke through the trees and the smell of the Monsters on the Thunderpath were overwhelming but Ashstar ignored it.

There was no cat in sight until a single movement caught his attention. There was a cat somewhere in the trees and bushes. Ashstar saw the toms outline but couldn't make out a face. He couldn't blame the cat though. Whatever if Shadowclan cat wanted to say, there was a good reason to keep his identity a secret from the Windclan leader.

"What did you want to talk to me about?" Ashstar asked and announcing he saw the cat.

There was no answer. Ashstar narrowed his eyes. "Speak already," he commanded. He didn't have time to waste by standing in the forest with a silent cat.

Then the cat stepped out of the bushes, revealing who he was. Ashstar gasped with disbelief at the sight of the cat he thought to be dead for far too long. "Shadowthorn." Just seeing the brown and black cat forced every hair on Ashstar's body to stand up. He still had the toms' maniacal plan to take over the forest so long ago now fresh in his mind. Now it all made sense. Shadowthorn stayed near the Shadowclan border and waited for a cat to come by who wouldn't recognize him to bring Ashstar to him. "What are you doing here?" he hissed.

"Is that the kind of welcome I get after being gone for so long?" Shadowthorn asked, teasing with the leader.

"You are not welcome here!" He couldn't believe it; he was so sure Shadowthorn was dead. He thought back to when Cloudheart and Icefur first came to him. The look on the kits faces when they explained their father was dead… it had to be true: until now. "Leave immediately," Ashstar added with ice in his voice.

"I'm not leaving just yet, Ashstar." Shadowthorn spoke the name with pure hatred and began taking steps forward to the grey tom and Ashstar began taking a few back but showed no fears of the banished one. "I'm never leaving again."

"Mouse-brain," Ashstar growled. "No one will allow it. No cat in the forest wants you here."

The dark tom smirked devilishly like he already found a way around that problem. "Not everyone wants me gone."

Ashstar froze. "Icefur…" He whispered, now realizing even more. "You dare lay a claw on her…" Ashstar didn't finish his thought for Shadowthorn already got the point. Ashstar could never explain it too well but he always liked in a way a mentor liked an apprentice. He was always proud of the she-cat and could never picture her and her sister as the daughters of Shadowthorn.

Shadowthorn chucked. "Actually, very soon, she will be the one laying claws on others. She will lead the forest better then the four leaders combined."

Ashstar held his breath, finally understanding everything. Shadowthorn was trying to conquer the forest again but this time, through Icefur. Many more thoughts started buzzing through his head.

That explained how Hollytail died without explanation; Shadowthorn killed her to make Icefur deputy and then… leader.

Ashstar unsheathed his claws when he noticed Shadowthorn jump towards him, claws first. Ashstar jumped on his hind legs to meet him and they locked claws and threw the dark tom past him. Shadowthorn was quick to return; he came at the leader again and landed a claw on his side, breaking through the skin.

Ashstar yowled in pain as another piercing blow hit him on the shoulder. He ignored it to the best of his ability and lunged himself at Shadowthorn, biting into his shoulder. The brown tom fell onto his back and quickly rolled over and bit deep into Ashstar's back. He twisted around and slashed Shadowthorn across the muzzle.

The two broke apart and Ashstar quickly turned his head around towards the moor.

"Don't think you can run away," Shadowthorn said in a low, threatening voice. "You know I've always been faster then you."

Ashstar knew it was true too. He growled and ran towards Shadowthorn again. He hissed and clawed viscously, knowing this battle was to the death. Shadowthorn fought back skillfully. Ashstar clawed deep at Shadowthorn's side and he turned around and bit Ashstar's leg hard.

The two wrestled for a while longer, each getting more claw and bite marks and both getting more exhausted; both refused to give up.

Finally separate again, Ashstar and Shadowthorn breathed in and out deeply, trying to get their energy back. Ashstar took the whole situation very seriously while Shadowthorn wouldn't get rid of his smirk, which irritated Ashstar to no end. Shadowthorn always seemed to _enjoy_ fighting and getting blood on his paws.

Ashstar's heart didn't just sink; it dropped when he heard a voice in the distance. He turned around to see two cat's running towards him. He could only make out their pelts but nothing more since they were so far away. He couldn't mistake the pure white coat for Icefur. _No not now,_ Ashstar thought in fear for the deputy. _Why did you follow me?_

Ashstar's distraction was his mistake. When he was turned around, he screamed from the sharp, burning pain in his chest when Shadowthorn came up to him and clawed at his chest. Ashstar silently growled at himself for being so mouse brained during a fight.

The grey leader fell on his side, now looking back at Shadowthorn, breathing deeply. He looked into the dark tom's eyes. "You can't kill me," he said in a raspy voice. Ashstar still had three lives left.

Shadowthorn smirked again. "You have too much faith in Starclan… It's been fun being friends with you but it ends here. Good-bye, Ashstar." Ashstar's heart skipped a beat when Shadowthorn bent down and bit Ashstar on the throat. He was already too tired to fight back. The bite would normally only take one life from the leader but after that, Shadowthorn clawed him again on the chest, this time must deeper.

Ashstar yowled in pain; it was unbearable. He shut his eyes, not wanting to see his own blood spill onto the ground.

Icefur and Mudwhisker got closer; that's when Shadowthorn left Ashstar.

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"Ashstar!" Icefur screamed when she saw what happened. She and Mudwhisker ran across the moor as fast as they could but weren't fast enough. When they reached him, Shadowthorn was already gone and they had no idea who attacked the leader.

"Ashstar," Icefur said again when she came to his side. The wound on his neck and chest were just awful. She has never seen a scar so big before; whoever attacked him was trying to kill him no doubt. Very suddenly, Ashstar yelled and twitched several times with his eyes shut tight.

"What's happening?" Icefur gasped.

"He's losing a life," Mudwhisker answered when he came next to Ashstar. "But he has more so -" he was interrupted when Ashstar yelled again. "… What?"

"Did he just… Lose another life?" Icefur asked in complete horror. Mudwhisker didn't answer but just looked down at the leader with shock.

"Icefur," Ashstar managed to whisper. The white she-cat bent down to level with him.

"Ashstar, I'm so sorry," she said quietly.

"No," Ashstar replied softly. "You must-" he paused and took a shaky breathe. "–Lead the clan."

Icefur felt teams form at the edge of her eyes. "I can't," she said desperately. "Not without you…"

He quickly changed the topic, knowing time was running out. "I was wrong," he meowed quietly. "You must... Stop the war. Create peace."

"Who did this to you?" Icefur knew Ashstar was thinking he was going to die but she didn't want him to leave so badly. She wanted him to reserve his strength if there was even a shimmer of hope for the leader but the deputy still had one question. "Who did this to you?"

"It was-" he stopped again and coughed up blood on the ground next to him. "-S-shadow… Shadow…" Ashstar didn't finish before he closed his eyes and his head fell back peacefully.

"Ashstar!" Icefur cried by the leader. She looked up at Mudwhisker who had sorrow in his eyes.

"Ashstar," the brown warrior muttered. "He's dead."

"No!" He can't be! Not now!" Icefur buried her head in Ashfur's pelt, paying no attention to the pool of blood on his pelt and the ground. Mudwhisker walked to her side. They both stood there by Ashstar for quite a while. Even the usually powerful winds seemed to have quieted down for the leaders death. There was nothing. Only silence.

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**A/N: Personally, I didn't want to do it but sadly, it was necessary. Don't hate me… Let me just clear a few things up:**

**Mudwhisker will be more emotional about this in the next chapter in case you're wondering why he didn't break down like Icefur.**

**If you think it's too soon for her to be leader, I agree. That's the point.**

**The name of the chapter is because of Shadowthorn and... I was listening to a song called Monsters and loss for ideas so... Yeah.  
**

**Yes, he lost 3 lives at once. Just like in the 6****th**** book of warriors. Please don't get mad because I did that like Erin Hunter or because a normal cat shouldn't be able to take 3 lives. Getting clawed in the chest ad bitten on the throat can do that, I guess…**

**We're getting really close to the end of the story… ****Wow.**

**Anyway, thanks for reading. I hope I made his death emotional… I've been trying to get more into the characters feeling… And it's not over.**

**One more thing; some people aren't getting alerts when I put up a new chapter sooo, if you are one of those people, tell me and I will send you a PM every time I get a chapter up.  
**

**Have a nice day~**


	43. Taking the Lead

_Chapter 43_

"What do we do now?" Icefur finally asked Mudwhisker after what seemed like moons of silence. Looking at Ashstar's motionless body made her feel so weak and helpless. She completely forgot that she was deputy and had to be strong for the clan.

Mudwhisker cleared his throat before speaking. "We need to get his body back to camp and tell the clan what happened. Then, I suppose you'll need to go to the Moonstone to get your nine lives."

_The Moonstone! _Icefur thought to herself._ I have to become leader of Windclan…_ She was overwhelmed and had to talk about it. She looked up at Mudwhisker hopelessly. "Leader," she whispered then spoke louder. "I don't think I'm ready for that. I don't know what to do."

Mudwhisker sighed, thinking about how to respond. "The clan needs you now," he said softly. "We're going through difficult times; when the time comes, you'll know what to do. That's why Ashstar made you deputy."

Icefur managed a smile. She envied Mudwhisker's strength. "Thanks," she said and looked back at Ashstar's limp body. _I can't believe he's gone._

"He'll always be watching over us from Starclan," Mudwhisker added as if he read her thoughts. "Let's go back to camp."

Icefur took a deep breath and pulled herself together. "How are you taking this so well?" She couldn't resist asking.

Mudwhisker shrugged slightly. "I'm really not," he muttered. "Ashstar was my mentor." He looked away.

Icefur's mouth gaped open slightly. "I… I had no idea," she said, unsure why she felt guilty.

Icefur and Mudwhisker both carried Ashstar's body back to camp. They didn't speak on the way back. For the whole journey, Icefur has been wondering what would happen next. She had to become leader but what would she say to the clan? They would be devastated. She hated to disappoint; Icefur knew this would be extremely difficult for her and the clan.

When they walked towards the camp entrance, Icefur held her breath. The air around them was still motionless for once and in Icefur's eyes, everything seemed just a little bit colorless.

With Mudwhisker, she carried Ashstar's body to the base of the Tallrock and waited for the others to gather. Icefur weakly jumped onto the Tallrock when the clan cats came. They all stared at Ashstar's body with horror and shock. They were all talking but the combined voices made it impossible to hear correctly.

"Members of Windclan-" Icefur began, silencing them when she spoke. "Ashstar was sadly killed near the Shadowclan border. We are unsure who did it." She watched her clanmates react with a heavy heart.

"That's impossible," Nightpaw spoke out of the crowd. Everyone turned to face him. "He still had three lives left!" Heatherwish looked over at Nightpaw but didn't say anything. icefur wondered if he wasn't aloud to say anything about the leader's lives even when he was dead.

Many gasps rose up in the crowd. Even Icefur was surprised. How did someone take away three lives at once?

She dismissed the thought quickly. "I wasn't there when he was attacked. When Mudwhisker and I ran after him, the attacker had already fled." The white she-cat thought back to the moment though she didn't want to. All she remembered was a figure disappearing into the forest. She was too late to save him.

Icefur pushed aside these feelings; she didn't want to get all emotional in front of everyone. "We will mourn Ashstar. He was a brave and wise leader who will never be forgotten." As the deputy spoke, many cats bowed their heads. She gave everyone a moment of silence before reluctantly continuing. "So now I must travel to the Moonstone and become leader," she said a little too quietly. "I'll leave immediately. " At this point, she wasn't quite sure what else to say. "Uh, clan meeting dismissed." It was hard not to sound confused.

Icefur jumped down from the Tallrock. Most of the cats stayed by Ashstar's body. The she-cats' friends walked up to her.

"Icefur," Bramblestripe began. "Are you doing okay?" Her voice was sad and concerned.

Icefur nodded, looking down at her paws. "I'm fine," she lied. Then she looked up at them. "I have to go see Heatherwish."

Icefur scanned the crowd for the medicine cat and soon found her. She walked up to the tortoiseshell who was sitting next to Ashstar's body. "Heatherwish?" she said, not wanting to interrupt the obviously upset she-cat.

She turned to the deputy. She smiled but there was grief in her eyes. The medicine cat didn't say anything but just walked towards her den.

Icefur padded into the medicine cat den. Stormtooth was still sitting in his nest. Icefur could tell her heard everything but neither of them said anything. She just nodded slightly to her mentor as a way to say hello and continued to follow Heatherwish.

Icefur sat down and asked, "do I have to eat any herbs?"

Heatherwish shook her head. "You cannot eat anything if you're going to share dreams with Starclan," she mewed.

"Then why did you bring me in here?"

"I just wanted to get out of the crowd," Heatherwish replied. "We can go when you're ready."

.

Icefur and Heatherwish left camp right after. It was still difficult for the she-cat to except everything that's happened. But she knew this was no time to wallow in grief and sorrow. She had to become leader of Windclan and guide the clan now that Ashstar was gone. Before leaving, the white she-cat desperately wanted to sit vigil with the dead leader but Heatherwish insisted on leaving as soon as possible for the good of the clan.

Being the closest clan to the Moonstone, they didn't have to walk as far as the other clans or worry about crossing enemy territory. All they had to cross was the Thunderpath.

Icefur thought back to her last time crossing the hard path; that was when she went to see Cloudheart. She wondered if she would find her sister again when getting her nine lives. _I hope so…_

With the sun setting, Heatherwish and Icefur waited at the edge of the Thunderpath and looked both ways. They listened for any monsters as well as searched for their putrid scent in the air.

When the moment was right, the two she-cats raced across the Thunderpath. Just moments later, a large Monster came tearing down the path and past the cats as if it didn't notice them.

Icefur and Heatherwish then began padding over to the Highstones. The large rocks that stuck out of the ground always reminded Icefur of teeth. And the cave entrance being called Mothermouth didn't help much either.

When they got to the top of the hill, she looked into the lightless cave that she would have to walk through. She has already done it a few times before she every time Icefur went into the cave, she could never stop herself from wondering if she would ever come out.

"When you're in there," Heatherwish spoke up, "you will receive your nine lives after falling asleep by the Moonstone. Are you ready?" The medicine cat turned and looked Icefur with her gentle and concerned eyes.

Icefur looked back into the cave then back at the tortoiseshell. She took a deep breath then finally said "yes."

With that, the two entered Mothermouth.

The cave was damp and cold. Icefur felt the need to open her eyes even when they were already open.

She felt somewhat certain that she knew the way to the stone but followed Heatherwish's sent just to be safe.

The strange light of the Moonstone soon broke through the darkness and welcomed the two she-cats. With the help of a small hole in the top of the cave, the Moonstone glowed magnificently.

Icefur and Heatherwish walked up to it."Do you think I can do it? Lead Windclan well?" She asked quietly while gazing at the mystical stone.

"Ashstar believed in you and so do I. You need more confidence in yourself."

Icefur took another deep breath before touching the cold stone with her nose. She began to panic as she felt she had lost her ability to move. In fact, she couldn't even open her eyes to see if she had fallen asleep.

Icefur suddenly felt a sharp pain in her body and didn't quite understand what was happening. She couldn't cry out for help and back away from the stone. Just as quickly as the pain, started it disappeared. Then icefur had an idea of what has just happened.

Icefur assumed that her old life was just taken away so she could receive nine new lives. _So… Did I just die?_

Just moments later, she opened her eyes to see she was in a lush field surrounded by trees in the distance. "Hello?" she called to anyone who could hear her. She spotted Heatherwish was also there but just to watch. The medicine cat was farther away. Icefur turned around to see nine cats all lined up waiting for her. They suddenly appeared together circling her.

The first cat walked up to her. The she-cat was Berryfur: the mother of Rockpaw and Maplepaw. Icefur remembered she died in the rogue attack and how Breezetail blamed himself for that.

She brightened up at the sight of one of the queens who first welcomed her and her sister to Windclan. "Berryfur, it's so great to see you again," she white she-cat exclaimed. "How are you doing?"

Berryfur didn't respond. Instead, she asked "Are you ready to receive your nine lives?"

Icefur idly wondered if anyone said no before and nodded her head "yes."

She smiled and stepped closer to Icefur and touched the top of Icefur's head with her nose. "With this life, I give you protection. Use it well to protect those dear to you." After she spoke, Icefur felt a sharp pain travel through her body for a heartbeat before disappearing. Berryfur then stepped back.

Then a young kit appeared: one who Icefur has never met before. "Who are you?"

"My name is Flamekit," the red kit told her. He kind of reminded her of Redshade. He also looked far to wise and intelligent to be a kit. He stepped close to Icefur and she had to kneel down for him to reach. He touched her head with his nose. "With this life, I give you honor. No matter how hard things seem to get, always stay true to the warrior code." When he finished, Icefur felt another burst of pain shoot through her. Icefur clenched her teeth before it disappeared. Flamekit stepped back in line with the others.

Then the third cat came. Icefur knew the she-cat was Hollytail, the deputy before her. "Hollytail," Icefur whispered, somewhat surprised to see her for some reason.

"You've been a good deputy Icefur," Hollytail said when she touched the white she-cats head with her nose. "With this life, I give you determination. Use it well to fight through everything life throws at you." More pain ran through Icefur's body. She sighed with relief when it left her, hoping the leader ceremony wont be too much for her. Hollytail took a step back and looked at Icefur with kind eyes. "You'll make a good leader too," she added before stepping back with the others.

Icefur was surprised with who the next cat was. It was Brightstar: the Thunderclan leader before Hawkstar.

The yellow she-cat walked up to Icefur and touched her head with her nose. "With this life, I give you concern. Use it for all cats no matter their clan. In the end, we'll all the same." Icefur's tail twitched and she dug her claws into the dirt as she received her next life. before the leader stepped back. She didn't like looking weak but knew it didn't really matter.

Icefur looked at the she-cat and smiled, glad she was here for her ceremony. Lightstar stepped back and the firth cat came; another she didn't recognize. She she-cat was a misty blue color. "Hello Icefur," she began. "My name is Mistyfall."

"Hello," Icefur said nervously.

Mistyfall touched Icefur's head with her nose. "With this life, I give you bravery. Use it well to face all challenges that come your way and stand up for your clanmates." Icefur's nervousness towards the unknown Windclan cat disappeared. But right after, Icefur shut her eyes and forced herself not to kneel down when she got her life.

Mistlyfall nodded and stepped back, replaced by the next cat. She wasn't too surprised when she didn't recognize the grey tom.

"My name is Greystar. I was the Windclan leader before Ashstar," the strong looking tom said.

She felt honored to meet him. "Nice to meet you," Icefur meowed. Greystar stepped forward and touched her head with his nose. "With this life, I give you wisdom. Choose the path you believe is right and others will follow." When he backed away, Icefur was struck with more pain as well as a little more confidence in her decisions. Greystar walked back to the others.

Next came a cat who Icefur was very happy to see: Lilly. The she-cats mother walked up to her and licked her ear compassionately before touching her head with her nose. "With this life, I give you love. Use it well for those who love you back and even those who don't." When she took a step back, the white she-cat flinched and gridded her teeth. After that was over, Icefur looked up at her mother and wasn't quite sure what to say to her. Eventually, she said, "I missed you so much. Please visit me sometime soon, okay?"

Lilly purred and walked back without an answer. _I'll take that as a yes,_ she thought to herself before the next cat came.

Then there was Cloudheart. The white she-cat walked up to Icefur, obviously holding back her excitement to see her sister.

"Cloudheart!" Icefur exclaimed at the sight of her. "I'm so glad you're here," she said with a large smile.

"I'm glad to see you too," Cloudheart told her before touching her head like the others. "With this life, I give you trust. Use it well to believe in and respect the cats around you." When she stepped back, Icefur looked up at her sister and was reminded of how much trust she put into the she-cat and how much she trusted her back. Her warm feelings were interrupted by another shock of pain though her body. Cloudheart spoke up again. "I'll be seeing you again soon."

"You mean I'm gunna die?" Icefur asked, startled. Cloudheart chuckled. "That's not what I meant," she said before walking back to the other Starclan cats.

And finally, the ninth cat: Ashstar. The grey leader padded up to Icefur. His expression was completely at peace. Icefur realized she has never seen him so relaxed. "Ashstar, I hope I wont let you down," she said quietly, remembering again that he wont be there to help her.

Like he read her mind, Ashstar said, "You will make a great leader. I always knew that." He stepped closer and touched her head with his nose like the others. "With your ninth life, I give you guidance. Use it well to lead those who are lost and alone." When he stepped back, Icefur almost collapsed. She took in a deep breath and sighed, knowing it was all over.

Then he added, "I hail you by your new name, Icestar. Your old life is no more. You have now received the nine lives of a leader, and Starclan grants you the guardianship of Windclan. Defend it well; care for young and old; honor your ancestors and the traditions of the warrior code; live each life with pride and dignity."

"Thank you Ashstar. I'll do all I can to stop the war and restore peace; just liked you asked me." Ashstar smiled softly and walked back to the others.

The white she-cat saw him walk up to Mistyfall and lick her ear lovingly. Icestar realized they were mates and couldn't hold back a purr. She always wondered if Ashstar ever had a mate and she was overcome with happiness to know they were reunited.

Then all nine cats began chanting the leaders' new name. "Icestar, Icestar!" Their voices began to quiet down and everything began to fade away as Icestar knew she was waking up.

Icestar stretched her front legs and stood up, once again in the cave by the Moonstone. Heatherwish was awake and without a word, they traveled out of the cave and back into the Highstones outside before she medicine cat spoke.

When they got outside, it was almost dawn. The sun was just peaking over the mountains. "So how did it go?" she asked the new leader.

Icestar thought for a moment. "I think it went really well. I saw-"

"No!" Heatherwish snapped and Icestar shut her mouth in a heartbeat. "I'm sorry," she added. "You're not aloud to share what you experienced unless it's something we must discus."

"Oh," Icestar muttered. "Is that the same for apprentices?" When Heatherwish nodded, the leader thought to herself. _Uh oh…. Oh well._

"Now let's get back to camp," the medicine cat said. "You need to chose a new deputy by moonhigh tonight."

"No problem," Icestar assured her. "I already know who to chose."

.

The Windclan leader and medicine cat traveled back to camp. A heavy breeze blown though the moor and slowed them down but neither of the she-cats minded too much.

When they reached camp, the warriors were beginning to wake up and gathered around Icestar when she and Heatherwish entered the camp.

"So are you leader now?" Snowpelt asked when he reached the front of the crowd.

Icestar nodded. "Yes I am." Before anyone could ask any more questions, Icestar jumped onto the Tallrock.

"All cats who can catch their own prey, gather beneath the Tallrock for a clan meeting." Icestar had a feeling it was too early for a lot of cats but wanted to make the announcement.

When everyone gathered, she spoke. "Heatherwish and I just retuned from the Moonstone and I received all nine lives. Also, my new name is Icestar."

"Icestar, Icestar!" Her clanmates chanted before she continued.

"I know I can't be just like Ashstar but I will do whatever I can to lead Windclan to greatness. As leader, I must nowannounce the new deputy."

She could tell by the warriors expressions that they were now excited to see who she would choose. "I say these words before the spirits of our warrior ancestors so they may hear and approve of my choice. The new deputy of Windclan will be Mudwhisker!"

The small brown tabby below looked utterly shocked. After jumping out of his surprise, Mudwhisker cleared his throat and said, "I would be honored to be deputy." He jumped onto the Tallrock next to Icestar. "I promise to do whatever it takes to serve Windclan and I will not let anyone of you down."

The clan members cheered on Mudwhisker until Icestar interrupted and dismissed the clan meeting. Mudwhisker thanked her again and set out to order the dawn patrol. The she-cat was glad to see he was excited.

The leader went behind the Tallrock where the leaders stay after the crowd died down and laid down from exhaustion. Before she could get any rest, Bramblestripe, Breezetail and Rowanpelt walked over.

"Hey Icestar!" Bramblestripe called with enthusiasm. "How's it feel to be leader?"

Icestar turned to her friends. "I'm not sure yet. I just hope I don't mess something up."

"You'll make a great leader," Rowanpelt told her. It was probably the third time she heard it but still had her doubts.

"Thanks, Icestar said with a half fake smile.

"If you don't mind me asking," Breezetail cut in with a very unsure tone. "Did you ever find out who killed Ashstar?"

_That's right, _Icestar thought. _I've been so busy; I didn't put much thought into it. _Icestar reluctantly thought back to the scene when the last leader was killed. She remembered seeing a cat run into the forest when she and Mudwhisker got close. Then she thought back to what Ashstar told her.

"_S-shadow… Shadow…" _That was all he managed to say. Icestar put the pieces together herself.

Near the Shadowclan border, him saying 'shadow,' the cat running into the forest; it must have been Shadowclan. Little did she know her father was actually the killer.

"I think Shadowclan killed him."

No one disagreed but they all wondered why so she told them. "- It makes sense to me," Icestar finished.

The three cats seemed to agree. "So what are we going to do about it?" Breezetail asked the new leader.

Icestar thought for another moment. Her fathers' words jumped into her head. How he was explaining how the combined clans would make peace. And then when Ashstar asked her to stop the war.

"I see only one way to solve this. I have to complete Ashstars' final wish." Of course she didn't tell them what that was just yet. That was for later: after the plan.

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**A/N: First, I want to add that I added something to the end of the last chapter if you didn't see it. Ashstar basically said a little more to Icefur before dying. (So if you're confused, you might as all go back and look at the last few paragraphs.)**

**So what did you think about the nine lives thing? Icefur- er, Icestar doesn't know many dead cats… But aside from that, I think I did a good job writing it but please tell me your opinion. **

**P.S. I types this up a day before finishing Yellowfang's Secret. In one of the leader ceremonies in the book, someone got the life of honor. When I types this up, I felt pretty good about that one but now... Ugh... Just know that I didn't copy them.  
**

**Anyway, things are going to start getting intense now. Shadowthorns' plan has worked so far but how long will he keep his disguise over Icestar?**

**Also, I'm not used to typing Icestar instead of Icefur yet so if you see that, just ignore it. Also, I keep typing Mudwhsiker instead of Mudwhisker. So just ignore that too if you see it.**


	44. Dark Dreams

_Chapter 44_

The next day was stressful for the new Windclan leader. Icestar had little confidence she was doing her job correctly. As deputy, she never thought Ashstar would die so soon and didn't put in too much effort to memorize everything he did. It was a good thing she had Mudwhisker and the senior warriors to help her out.

It was a windy day but the suns warmth cut through it effortlessly. There were few clouds in the sky. Icestar was disappointed she didn't have time to enjoy the great weather.

"I can't believe my mentor is the leader," Maplepaw exclaimed after Icestar finished speaking to her deputy. "When can we go training?"

Icestar struggled to drag her attention off of the clan for even the slightest moment but managed somehow. "Uh soon," she muttered unsurely. With everything Icestar had to deal with, the white she-cat wondered when she would have time to leave the camp.

Maplepaw narrowed her eyes. "You've been saying that all day," the brown apprentice complained.

Icestar sighed. "Yes, you're right." She knew she would have to escape camp soon before something pops up. "Just give me one more moment and we'll leave."

Maplepaw sighed and nodded. "Alright," she said and walked away.

Icestar watched as her apprentice left and felt bad. The leader knew she had to spend more time training with Maplepaw.

Icestar walked over to the Tallrock and sat down behind it and sighed deeply. _What a busy day, _she thought to herself. _And it's not even half over._

The she-cat only got a few heartbeats of peace before Leopardflower interrupted her. "Icestar?" The senior warrior said when she spotted the leader. "Do you have a moment?"

She held in another sigh and turned to the she-cat. "Yeah, what is it?"

"Some of the warriors and I were wondering what you plan on doing about Ashstar's death," the spotted cat said. Icestar could hear the reluctance in her voice like she didn't want to ask.

"You're asking if we're going to attack, aren't you?"

Leopardflower didn't answer which was just fine with Icestar.

"Well we're not. Windclan will not attack Shadowclan because of his death." She seemed surprised by the leaders answer.

"What?" she muttered in confusion.

"Before he died, Ashstar asked me to stop the war and bring peace to the forest. Attacking them won't solve anything but drive us farther away from Ashstar's last wish."

"I see," Leopardflower said quietly. "Then how do you plan on stopping the war?"

Icestar narrowed her eyes. "I'm still thinking about it. Do _you _have any good ideas to stop a war between clans who hate each other?" She asked rhetorically, not to be rude but just because she was tired.

Leopardflower fell silent again.

"That's what I thought," she replied without thinking. "I'll make sure to let the clan know when I think up a plan," Icestar said to loosen the mood.

Leopardflower nodded and walked away. Icestar followed her but then began searching for Maplepaw.

The white leader spotted the rich brown she-cat talking to her brother, Rockpaw, in the apprentice area. Icestar walked up to the two of them. "Hello," she started.

Maplepaw perked up. "Can we go training now?" she asked with a wide smile.

When Icestar nodded, the apprentice jumped to her paws. "Finally! I've been so tired with just sitting here all day… Can Rockpaw come with us?" She added while looking at her brother.

"I'll have to ask Snowpelt if he has anything planned."

With perfect timing, Snowpelt walked over to the three of them. "Hey Rockpaw, ready to leave?"

"Can we go training with Maplepaw and Icestar?" Rockpaw asked his mentor, now on his paws as well.

Snowpelt shrugged and turned to the leader. "Is that okay with you?"

"Sounds like fun," she replied casually.

"Great," the tom meowed. "Let's get going."

The four Windclan cats left camp and wandered into the vast moor. Fighting the powerful wind, they moved into the center of the territory for some training.

As they walked to the right area, the apprentices walked ahead of the mentors while they talked. Snowpelt got a good idea for training and shared it with Icestar. She cheerfully agreed and they both moved on casually until the right moment.

When they stopped, Icestar started asking the apprentices questions while Snowpelt moved behind them unnoticed.

"If you're on a patrol and get ambushed by another clan and they outnumber you, what do you do?" Icestar asked the two.

"Attack and send someone to get backup," Rockpaw said quickly.

"Good," the white she-cat complimented. "You're in a battle and have to retreat. You see an injured clanmate but saving them might get you hurt or even killed. What should you do?"

"Save them anyway!" Maplepaw answered right away before her brother could. "As warriors, we need to help the clan even at the cost of our own lives."

Icestar purred with satisfaction. She was glad to see how much Maplepaw learned in the past few months. "Now what should you do if you find a dog in the territory?"

Rockpaw jumped to answer. "That's easy! You- Ahh!" The tom was pinned to the ground in a heartbeat when his mentor went behind him and jumped him. "What are you doing!?" He demanded towards Snowpelt.

"When you're in the territory, you need to be prepared for anything that could possibly happen," Snowplet answered after he finished laughing. "That includes being attacked by your mentor."

Rockpaw began kicking with his hind legs and threw Snowpelt off of him. He didn't say anything but looked pretty proud over his retaliation.

"Okay, okay," Icestar cut in. "Let's get to some real training. Have you been working on that move I last showed you, Maplepaw?"

She nodded. "Yeah but I can't quite get the hang of it."

"Let's try it out," the leader said. "Rockpaw, you try to jump at Maplepaw."

Rockpaw got into position and leaped into the air and towards his sister. Maplepaw jumped slightly onto her hind legs and tried to grab Rockpaw before he collided with her and throw him in another direction. Instead of doing that, Maplepaw collapsed onto the ground bringing Rockpaw with her.

"I see what you did wrong," Snowpelt said when he joined them. "Maplepaw; when Rockpaw jumps at you, you need to get your paws in the right position so you could turn more swiftly."

Icestar nodded in agreement. "Also, it would help if he's not jumping directly at you. Try to move to the side just a bit."

Maplepaw and Rockpaw stood up and both went back to where they were standing before.

Rockpaw leaned down and jumped at her again. Maplepaw moved a pawstep to the side and jumped up as well. She grabbed Rockpaw by his arms and twisted so he was thrown a tail length away. But she lost her balanced and staggered when her front paws landed back onto the ground. "How was that?"

"Much better," Icestar responded. "But next time, don't have your legs to stiff on your way down. Okay Rockpaw, your turn."

Rockpaw stood back up and prepared himself. Maplepaw jumped at him and Rockpaw did the same move she did on him. He threw her to the side without harm. His landing wasn't perfect but was still good.

They continued training until after Sunhigh before returning to camp. Maplepaw and Rockpaw learned a few moves and practiced many others. The mentors let the apprenticed run ahead while Snowpelt spoke to Icestar.

"I think they're ready for their apprentice names," he began. "They've been training hard; don't you agree?"

Icestar watched them walk farther ahead. "I think you're right. Let's give them their assessment very soon."

When Icestar and the others returned to camp, she as greeted by the medicine cat. Heatherwish padded up to her the moment she entered the area. She took her away from the center of camp to chat. "I wanted to tell you this earlier but with everything that was going on, I didn't think it was a good time. But now, I can't wait much longer."

Concerned now, Icestar asked, "What is it?"

"Nightpaw is ready to become a full medicine cat."

"That's great," Icestar exclaimed. "When will you two leave to get his name?"

"In about a quarter moon," Heatherwish replied.

Icestar opened her mouth to reply but was interrupted when Nightpaw came over to them. "Heatherwish, I think Stormtooth is well enough to continue his warrior duties," the grey apprentice said excitedly.

"That's good news," the medicine cat said. Icestar noticed her old mentor walk out of the Medicine cat den and over to them. The slash mark he got in the battle where he got injured became a scar. It was very visible going down his chest but only made the muscular warrior look more intimidating. "Only thanks to you two," he added when he reached them.

"It's so good to see you on your paws again," Icestar told him. Wanting her mentor to see her as 'leader-like,' she hid most of her happiness towards his recovery.

Stormtooth nodded. "I'm excited to start hunting and fighting again," he said planning, showing no hint of enthusiasm. Icestar knew it was there though.

"If you're up to it, I'm sure I can get a hunting party started," the leader told him.

"I'd love to get out of camp," he replied simply. Icestar turned and scanned the camp. She spotted a few warriors.

"Hey Brightfire," she called to the orange she-cat. "Would you like to go on a hunting party with Stormtooth?"

The she-cat faced the leader. "Stormtooth? It's been forever since I went hunting with him," she said with a smile so Icestar counted that as a yes.

She also saw Stonepath and Rainblossom. She almost called out to them but paused. _Stormtooth hasn't been hunting in a while. Knowing him, he'll probably want to go with more experienced warriors._

"Sunclaw and Silverstone," she said as the two warriors walked by. "Stormtooth and Brightfire are going on a hunting patrol," she told them. "Want to join them?"

They nodded and the leader turned back to the medicine cats and Stormtooth. "There you go."

Stormtooth managed the smallest smile. "Thank you," he said before joining with the others. His thanks were weak but Icestar accepted it. She never got much out of him anyway.

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When the moon light up the cloudless sky, the wind calmed down only slightly. Enough so a cat could talk without having to yell to be heard but it was still very windy. Or in the correct term, it was breezy.

When things began to settle down at camp, Icestar decided to take a walk. She needed some time alone without the chance of getting disturbed.

While idly wandering through the moor, Icestar began sorting out her thoughts.

_Let's see, _she began in her mind. _Maplepaw and Rockpaw need their warrior assessment soon and Nightpaw will be going to the Moonstone to get his Medicine cat name in a quarter moon. It'll be good to have two full medicine cats. I think only Thunderclan has two…_

_Speaking of the other clans, what should I say at the next gathering…? I wish I didn't have to announce Ashstar's death to the whole forest… And now I'm the one going on the Great Rock to speak. If I mess something up, I'll be so embarrassed…_

Icestar was shaken out of her thoughts when she saw something move in the corner of her eye. While she was thinking, she wasn't paying attention to where she was. Icestar was currently quite close to the river.

She was right; there was someone out in the distance. The cat saw her and started moving forward. Remembering what happened to Ashsar, Icestar stood her ground incase they attacked. But as the cat got close, she saw it was only her father.

"Icefur," he said when he got closer. I didn't expect to see you out here tonight," he admitted.

"What are you doing out here?" She asked, more concerned about the exiled cat trespassing them him getting her name wrong.

"Don't worry," he told her. "If I saw anyone other then you, I would have gone into the forest." The tom dodged her question.

"By the way, my name isn't Icefur anymore," she added, realizing how much she liked her simple name. "Ashstar died; so I'm leader now."

Shadowthorn gasped. "He died?!" His expression was covered with pure shock. "I-I had no idea," he said, trying to put on a believable performance.

"Yeah," the white she-cat muttered sullenly. "I guess your original planned can work out anyway," she added and glanced at him.

Shadowthorn was taken back by this. "I had nothing to do with this," he lied flawlessly.

"It doesn't matter," Icestar said with nothing else to say on the topic. "So can you tell me what we're going to do now?"

She didn't have to clarify. Shadowthorn nodded and took her into the forest so no one would see them out in the open.

When they were sure they were alone, the dark brown tom faced his daughter. "To stop the war, we need to begin the first part of my plan immediately."

Icestar waited for him to continue and explain.

"This is what we're going to do; I managed to get in contact with some of my friends who agreed with my idea of one clan."

"Who are they? Maybe I know them."

Shadowthorn shook his head. "No, they already died a while ago. They visited me in my dreams and we planned this out."

"Oh."

"Anyway," he continued. "Each one of them are from another clan. Tonight, they will speak to the other clan leaders and tell them that the clans must combine into one. No cat refuses to do what their ancestors tell them. The other leaders will either mention this at the next gathering or they will come to you personally."

"So what exactly will the Starclan cats tell them?" Icestar asked her father when he finished.

"They will tell the leaders that the clans must combine into one and _you _must be the soul leader."

Icestar held her breath. She could hardly handle leading one clan but four? She couldn't imagine it. Why did everyone have so much confidence in her?

At that moment, three cats appeared next to Shadowthorn. Icestar couldn't see them very clearly; the three were more like a vision. The leader knew they were the cats Shadowthorn told her about.

"Whoa," he muttered when they appeared.

"Icestar, these are the cats who will speak to the leaders in their dreams," Shadowthorn said. He walked up to each one and introduced them.

He started with a light blue tom. The tom was tall but looked strong. "This is Silentclaw from Thunderclan." He tom nodded slightly and the white she-cat. His face was unreadable. "He was the first outside of Windclan to learn about my plan. It just so happened that he agreed with me."

He moved to the next cat. The next tom was black and her belly and muzzle was white along with his paws. "This is Whiteshade from Riverclan. At the time, he managed to collect many more supports and was a big help." The tom simple said hello and Shadowthorn continued.

The last cat was a brown and grey she-cat. "And this is Owlgaze from Shadowclan. She seemed to support the idea more then the others and put a lot of effort into it."

"Nice to meet you, Icestar," she she-cat said. She seemed friendly enough.

The vague cats all had the same look in their eyes; determination and something else that Icestar couldn't place but Shadowthorn had it too.

"The leaders should be asleep by now, Silentclaw said. His name fit him well; he didn't speak very loudly at all.

Shadowthorn turned to him and nodded. "Right. All of you should leave before it gets too late."

"Relax Shadowthorn," Owlgaze told him casually. "We have plenty of time."

"Either way," Whiteshade added. "We don't want any chance of interruption while he visit the leaders." The others agreed and the hazy cats disappeared.

Icestar was speechless. She never met a dead cat outside a dream before. "How did they get here?" She asked her father.

"Warriors who have passed are able to come back here for important reasons. It's very rare but it happens. Now you should get back to your camp. They will take care of it from here."

.

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Wolfstar woke up in a forest that was very familiar to him but he hasn't been there in a while. The dark tom stood up and glanced around. "Where are you?" He called, knowing who brought him to the forest.

"Nice to se you too," Owlgaze replied from behind him.

The Shadowclan leader faced the brown and grey she-cat. "What do you have to tell me this time?"

"What, I can't drop in to say hello?"

Wolfstar started at her with narrow eyes.

"Alright, listen up," the she-cat said, now more serious. "Long ago, Starclan told the cats in the forest to unite or die."

"Yes, I know that," Wolfstar muttered.

"Well now it's time to do it again," Owlgaze said, getting straight to the point.

"What do you mean?

"The four clans must combine into one clan if they are going to survive the times ahead."

"What?!" Wolfstar couldn't help shouting in utter shock. "Combine? Why?"

"Are you not seeing everything that's going around you?" Owlgaze spat. "The clans are killing themselves. What are you even fighting for?"

"You're the one telling me to start a war," the Shadowclan cat said, remembering her last visit a long time ago.

"Forget about that," the dead cat commanded. "Things have changed and if you want you and your clan to live, you must combine with the other clans!"

Wolfstar shook his head. "I don't know," he muttered and added quickly before she could yell at him again. "Who would even be the leader? The four leaders couldn't work together…"

"One has already been chosen. The leader of the new clan will be the newest."

"The newest..." _That would be Hawkstar,_

"Now just wait for things to play out and you'll know what to do next."

.

"Combine the clans?" Featherstar echoed, unsure of what else to say. "The clans have had many wars in the past. Why now?" Featherstar woke up in a clearing with a nearby river facing Whiteshade. She never knew the cat when he was alive and he told her he was a Starclan cat who was once in Riverclan.

Whiteshade turned to the Riverclan leader. "We have predicted the outcome of this war. It led us to believe that the clans will be destroyed unless the pointless fighting stops for good. The only way to do that is to join into one clan," the black and white tom explained.

The grey and white she-cat tilted her head. "Are the other leaders being told this too?" Whiteshade nodded. "It doesn't seem like a good idea to me," she muttered but didn't want to disagree with the tom.

"You are only saying that because the clans will be doing something entirely new to them," the tom told her. "You will understand why you must combine with the other clans when the time comes."

"Who's even going to lead this larger clan?" She asked Whieshade, knowing the current leaders couldn't all agree together.

"The newest leader has been chosen to do so."

.

"Impossible!" Hawkstar shouted when Silentclaw told him about joining into one clan. "It would never work. There is too much bad blood between the clans to become one," he told the dead tom. Hawkstar found himself in a dense, misty forest after falling sleep. Silentclaw was there to welcome him.

"It has to work if the clans are going to survive. Each war has only gotten worse and worse: more deaths each time. You have been lucky enough to grow the clan after the last war."

"When was that?" Hawkstar asked, still not liking the idea.

"Before you were even born," the older cat told him.

"Where you in it?"

Silentclaw shook his head. "No but I knew cats who were. It was a long time ago."

"Anyway," Hawkstar said, returning to the topic. "Who would dare to lead such a large clan?"

"The youngest leader will do it."

_That means me! Control over all the other clans? Doesn't sound to bad. But… "_I can't see it happening. The others wont agree."

"They are being told the same thing I'm telling you now," the light blue tom said. "You don't have a choice. Like Starclan said lifetimes ago, you must unite or die."

.

After Shadowthorn told her to get back to camp, Icestar did just that. On her way back, it seemed like all the weight of her day finally caught up to her and suddenly became exhausted. _Is this what every day is going to be like from now on? _Icestar wondered as she padded through the windy moor.

_But this isn't about me, _she reminded herself. _I'm doing this for the clan; for all the clans._

Icestar got back to Windclan camp soon after. She paced through the motionless camp and curled up behind the Tallrock and went to sleep.

"Icestar," She heard and her ear twitched with annoyance. She didn't even bother to see who it was.

"Can't this wait until tomorrow?" She said, burying her head under neither her paws.

"No it can't."

Icestar groaned and stood up, Her need for sleep disappeared when she realized she _was_ sleeping. And the cat talking to her was Cloudheart. "Cloudheart, I'm so sorry," she said in realization.

"It's alright," her sister said with a smile but her eyes were serious. "Congratulations on becoming leader."

"Thanks for giving me a life," Icestar said and purred. "Is Ashstar around here?" She asked, scanning the area. She was in a small clearly surrounded by trees.

Cloudheart shook her head. "No he's not. I need to talk to you."

"Alright what is it?" Icestar asked and sat down in the soft grass. Her sister did the same.

Cloudheart looked upon her sister and smiled but her eyes showed sadness. Or maybe it was disappointment; Icestar couldn't tell. "I know what you've been doing," she said simply.

Icestar suddenly got a sick feeling. "What do you mean?" she asked, knowing very well what she meant.

"Your meetings with Shadowthorn," Cloudheart said with a straight face. "And now sending those cats into the other leaders' dreams."

"So?" Icestar asked, fearful of what Cloudheart was getting to. "I'm not doing anything wrong."

"Yes you are," Cloudheart insisted. "You clans must remain as four!" She paused and calmed down, not wanting to lose control of her feelings. "You need to stop this before it gets worse."

"I'm trying to help all the clans not kill themselves," Icestar corrected her. "It's just going to get better. Why are you so mad?"

"It's not supposed to be like that. You will have too much power and there will be no balance. There are four clans to keep balance so a leader doesn't gain too much power."

"This isn't about power or about me," Icestar told her sister. "Why did you even wait this long to tell me this?"

"I never wanted to have this conversation," Cloudheart said, looking away. "I was hoping you would regain your senses and stop this madness before it got this far."

"That's why you said you'll talk to me soon when you gave me my life, wasn't it?"

Cloudheart nodded and looked back at her very sternly. "Listen to me: stop your scheming and forget any of this every happened. Tell Shadowthorn to leave the forest and never return then end the war the proper way."

Icestar rose to her paws. "You can't tell me what to do," she said in a tone that was dangerously quite. "Everyone keeps telling to me do that I think is right and this is it! I'm trying to bring permanent peace. You just don't understand! And you wont until it's over."

Cloudheart shook her head. "You're wrong. Shadowthorn is just manipulating and using you!"

"How could you say that about our father?" Icestar hissed.

"He's blinded you," Cloudheard said angrily but tried to stay calm. "The clans combined into one will not end well!"

"You just won't understand," Icestar said again. "But I'll convince you; when this is all over, you'll see that the clans will be better off in the end." Icestar didn't have anything else to say to her sister. Like it was on que, she disappeared from the clearing. Cloudheart knew someone must have woken her up.

Cloudheart sighed and stood where she was for a moment before she walked into the Starclan forest.

"This isn't going well," she admitted to Hollytail. The two Starclan cats became closer since they met up. "I fear I just convinced her more by bring her here," the white she-cat sighed.

"Maybe," Hollytail shrugged. "Arguing about it must have made her want to defend herself. She now believes in what she's doing more then ever.

"Shadowthorn's plan is already in motion. There isn't much we can do now to stop it."

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**A/N: Longest chapter yet! Woo! This would have gone up a lot sooner if it weren't for Youtube. The darn site distracted me for like, an hour. x.x**

**Anyway, things are heating up! I probably would have split this up into two chapters if I weren't so cautious about making it too long and too long to write.**

**Anyway, what do you think? What will happen next? Comments, question, etc? And that little argument between the sisters… it's a little sad, actually. Well… Please review!**

**Have a nice day~**


	45. Nearing the New Beginning

_Chapter 45_

Icestar crept down behind the fragile bush, pushing herself as close to the ground as possible. It was a sunny day with few clouds in the sky but the wind was strong. Through the thin twigs and green leaves, she watched as her apprentice spotted a rabbit a few fox lengths away.

So far, Maplepaw was doing well on her assessment. In the moor, it was so difficult to remain hidden. She always wondered how Stormtooth did such a good job when Icestar did her warrior assessment.

The rich brown she-cat crouched down and prepared herself before pushing off the ground with her back legs and sprinting across the moor. The frightened rodent saw her coming and fled. Maplepaw however was much faster and quickly out-ran the prey before stopping it with her claws and completing a swift kill.

Absentmindedly, Icestar nodded approvingly. That was Maplepaw's third catch since they left. She already caught another rabbit and a sparrow that flew too far from home.

The mentor looked up at the sky; it was almost Sunhigh, which was the apprentices' deadline. She turned to the younger cat to see she noticed the same thing. Maplepaw hesitated for a moment, wondering to try for one more piece of prey or return to camp. She didn't want to be late of course.

Maplepaw picked up the rabbit and padded over to the other prey and carried them in her jaw. She turned and began walking back to camp. Icestar scanned the area and thought if there was anyway to beat her to camp without being seen (not like it mattered anymore) but decided to stay behind the brown cat until they got to camp.

When Maplepaw returned, she seemed confused. Probably wondering where he mentor was, she dropped the prey in the fresh-kill pile. Meanwhile, Icestar quickened her pace and appeared behind her.

"Great job," the leader started. Maplepaw spun around. Her eyes showed she was nervous but managed a straight face while Icestar spoke. "For the little time you had, you caught a good amount of prey," she added.

Maplepaw purred with delight. "Thank you," she replied simply. Her attention was drawn away from the leader when Rockpaw and Snowpelt walked into camp.

"Rockpaw," she called and ran to her brother. "How did you do?"

"Snowpelt said I did very well and I can get my warrior name," he answered proudly. "What about you?"

"Icestar said the same thing. We're going to be warriors!" Before Rockpaw joined her in the celebration, he carried his prey to the pile as well. Icestar didn't get a good view of what he caught, mostly because she wasn't paying too much attention, but he did better then two pieces of prey for sure.

"When does the ceremony begin?" Rockpaw asked the leader after dropping the prey.

"Right away," Icestar said promptly, knowing the cats wouldn't want to wait any longer then they would need to.

Icestar jumped onto the Tallrock and called to the clan. "All cats old enough to catch their own prey, gather beneath the Tallrock for a clan meeting!"

The Windclan cats came in a few heartbeats, all wondering what was happening.

"It's a special day for Windclan," she started. "The day we get to welcome two new warriors. Maplepaw and Rockpaw; step up."

The two brown apprentices jumped into the Tallrock and faced the white leader. "I, leader of Windclan, call upon my warrior ancestors to look down on these apprentices. They trained hard to understand the ways of your noble code and I commend them to you as warriors in their turn." Now speaking directly to the two brown cats, she went on. "Rockpaw and Maplepaw, do you promise to uphold the warrior code and to protect and defend your clan, even at the cost of your own life?"

"I do," they both said together.

"Then by the powers of Starclan, I give you your warrior name. Rockpaw, from this moment you will be known as Rockstorm. Starclan honors your nobleness and we welcome you as a full warrior of Windclan." Icestar stepped forward and rested her muzzle on his head and he licked her shoulder. The leader then turned to Maplepaw.

"Maplepaw, from this moment you will be known as Mapleshine. Starclan honors your loyalty and we welcome you as a full warrior of Windclan." Mapleshine bowed her head and Icestar rested her muzzle on her head and she licked her shoulder.

The clan began cheering their names. "Rockstorm, Mapleshine! Rockstorm, Mapleshine!"

The warriors jumped down and were crowded by congratulation cats. They somehow broke free of the cluster and ran up to their blind father, Gravelstone.

While they chatted, Icestar jumped down afterwards. She saw Snowpelt and locked eyes with him. He nodded and they walked over to the new warriors and waited for them to end the conversation with the former deputy.

"Tonight you'll have to sit a silent vigil," Snowpelt informed them.

"They day is still young so you don't have to start it yet. We'll come find you when it's time but make sure to get some prey inside you before then," Icestar added.

"Will do," Rockstorm announced. It was clear that they were both excited to be warriors at last.

_Now there is only one apprentice in the clan, _Icestar thought to herself, blocking out the noise around her. _And Nightpaw is going to get his name soon enough. No apprentices and no queens… Well there's Frostflower but it's far too soon for her to move into the nursery. This isn't good._

Windclan wasn't going to get any new warriors for a while. It's a good thing Icestar planned to combine the clans. Of course Windclan had enough warriors but no leader liked to see the nursery empty, let alone the apprentice area.

Icestar glanced around and saw Heatherwish returning to her den, probably tired from the commotion. The leader followed her in.

"Heatherwish, I need to talk to you," she said when she padded inside.

"About what?" The tortoiseshell asked casually.

When Shadowthorn explained his plan the night before, Icestar noticed one flaw. He said the leaders would either share their dreams at the next gathering or come and talk to Icestar personally. But he didn't know the others like she did. Featherstar wasn't much a problem but Wolfstar and Hawkstar are too proud to do something like that. Of it's possible they would try to lie and say the dream was talking about them and not Icestar. Besides, they didn't even know Ashstar died yet. (Except for Shadowclan, who Icestar still believed is responsible for his death)

So she decided to push things along. "I had a dream last night," she told the medicine cat. "From Starclan." Usually, Icestar wouldn't like lying to the she-cat. But in a way, she wasn't lying. Cloudheart did visit her, after all.

Heatherwish was suddenly alert. "What did they say?"

"They said- you're not going to believe this- they said the clans have to combine into one." The leader didn't beat around the bush. She wanted to get straight to the point.

Heatherwish opened and closed her mouth a few times, searching for the right words to say. "What?" was all she managed to say until she found her voice again. "Combine into one? Did they say why?"

Icestar nodded. "They said they clans are just fighting pointless battles and killing ourselves over nothing. To survive, we must unite."

"I can't believe it," Heatherwish whispered under her breath. "Did they say anything else?"

"Yes; they said that _I _must be the leader of the combined clan."

"You? This is all so sudden. They must have told the other clans this too or-" she paused when Icestar nodded.

"I think I should tell the clan this. Then get in contact with the other leaders. We can't ignore this."

"Yes, I agree. I might need to talk to Starclan about this myself afterwards."

"Why?" Icestar asked a little too quickly. "They told us what to do and how to do it; I see no reason to squeeze more answers out of them." And with that, Icestar left the den.

She saw most of the warriors have already left the Tallrock and felt bad about calling them over already. She tilted her head and thought for a moment then jumped onto the Tallrock again.

"All cats old enough to catch their own prey, gather beneath the Tallrock for a clan meeting," she announced quickly and the cats came over again. She really didn't think this whole thing through and timed it very well. She should have announced the fake dream after the warrior ceremony. Then again, it would steal the attention from Rockstorm and Mapleshine.

"Last night, I received a dream from Starclan. I know most of you wont like what they had to say but we cannot ignore the instructions of out ancestors. There must be difficult times ahead because Starclan wants us to combine with the other clans if we are to survive."

As expected, uproar started throughout the crowd. No one was fond with the idea of joining with Thunderclan, Riverclan and Shadowclan.

"We're at war with them," she heard someone point out.

"That is exactly why we must combine into one clan!" The cats settled down when Icestar began explaining. "This was and countless others are pointless. We're just killing ourselves for nothing! If we let this war go one any longer, the clans will become weak and fragile. Not long after, we'll become extinct.

"Before Ashstar died, he told me to end the war and restore peace. I had no idea how to do that but now Starclan gave me the answer! They have said the same thing to the other leaders. I know no one wants to do this. But this isn't just about us anymore. This is about every cat in the forest, no matter there clan. No one is safe until we end the meaningless righting and death."

Icestar's words seem to have gotten through to some of the warriors. The majority of them were still against the idea but no one called out against what Starclan supposedly told them.

Icestar continued. "The other leaders don't know that I'm the Windclan leader now. So I plan to go to them and tell them this. And together, we can finally achieve peace."

There was complete silence within the clan. Only the powerful moor breeze was heard. The white she-cat knew all too well the others weren't sure about what she said. She wasn't completely sure about it either. But nothing was going to stop her from completing Ashstar's final wish of peace.

On her way to the other leaders, she couldn't go alone. Icestar wished she didn't want to ask but wasn't sure who to pick. "So… Who wants to go with me to speak with the other leaders?"

Many cats below searched around for anyone who offered. After a very awkward moment of silence, finally someone spoke up. "I'll go with you." The leader was a bit surprised to see the cat who spoke was Rockstorm.

She cheered up but her delight faded when she realized, "you have to start your vigil soon."

His ears dropped with disappointment and the leader waited for another cat to speak. "I'll go." The next cat who said something was Breezetail.

Icestar restrained herself from shouting thank you and managed to say it calmly instead. "Anyone else?"

"I will." Icestar turned to the voice and saw it was Mudwhsiker who said it. The deputy's expression was different though so Icestar couldn't tell if he chose to go just to help the leader out or because he actually supported her idea.

"Thank you," she said again. "We'll leave immediately. Clan meeting dismissed." When she leaded down, her friends were the first to come to her side.

"Combining the clans?" Bramblestripe started with astonishment.

Icestar nodded. "It's the only way to keep us from dying," she answered, tired of everyone saying the same thing. She walked past them and towards Mudwhisker.

"You never told me about this," he said in a hushed tone.

"I know," she admitted. To quote somewhat Heatherwish, she said, "It happened very suddenly. Thanks for coming with me."

He replied simply with a faint smile and a nod before Breezetail came over. "Let's get going before it gets too dark."

.

Icestar already planned it out; first they would go to Riverclan, then Shadowclan, then Thunderclan.

Windclan and Riverclan were already alleys so she would be the easiest to coax. Wolfstar and Hawkstar were going to be harder. Shadowclan was next because something told her Wolfstar would go along with it if Riverclan already agreed. She didn't see him as power hungry or anything like that. Now Hawkstar would be the most difficult; he was prideful and probably already assumed that he was the youngest leader. Icestar was also glad to tell him otherwise and see his reaction.

Icestar, Breezetail and Mudwhsiker ran over to the border with Riverclan where the river was calmer and waited for a patrol. They timed it well and a border patrol came not long after.

In the patrol were Raventail, Brownpelt, Pinethorn and Streampaw. The apprentice was standing closer to Pinethorn so Icestar assumed he was her mentor. Raventail was leading the patrol.

The black she-cat stepped forward on the other side of the river. "Hello Icefur," she said, unaware of her name change. "What brings you?"

"It's Icestar now. Ashstar was sadly killed," she said, trying not to sound too forcfull or upset.

The Riverclan warriors dipped their heads. "I'm sorry to hear that," she replied. Icestar could hear the shock in her voice. Icestar glanced over to Streamkit; she remembered meeting the kit a while back and had no doubt she still remembered Icestar. There was awe in the apprentices' eyes.

"Anyway, I would like to speak to Featherstar about something."

"About what exactly?" Raventail asked the white leader.

Icestar tilted her head. "She'll know the topic but I'm not sure if she told the warriors yet."

"I understand," the black cat replied and they let the Windclan warriors across. "We'll escort you."

The three Windclan cats followed behind the four Riverclan cats until they reached the camp. This was the second time Icestar was in their camp; the first was the battle where Gravelstone was blinded. She never got to have a good look at it before.

All their dens were very green with the help of all the moisture in the air. It must have been very easy to find moss for Riverclan.

She padded over to what she guessed to be the leaders den. Raventail walked in ahead of hr and briefly spoke to the leader before coming back in. "Icestar can go in," she said plainly before walking away which meant Mudwhisker and Breezetail would have to wait outside.

"Hello Featherstar," Icestar started when she paced inside.

"Hello Icestar," the grey and white ca replied, acknowledging the new name. "What is it you want to talk to me about?"

"By any chance did Starclan visit you last night?" Featherwish hardly reacted; Icestar could only tell she was surprised Icestar because of the tiniest twitch of the tail that was curled around the leaders paws.

Icestar continued on. "They visited all the leaders last night and said the newest leader is to become the leader of a combined clan. We were told this days after I became leader."

"So it must be you," Featherstar muttered and rose to her paws. "I admit; it's still hard to believe they want us to combine the clans but I wont go against Starclan's wishes."

Icestar nodded. "I feel the same way. Now I think we must forget the war and join together to restore peace and survive what the future brings." Icestar idly wondered why she was speaking the way she was. Usually, she wouldn't talk in such a way. It probably had something to do with becoming leader.

Featherstar nodded slowly. "That seems to be what Starclan wants us to do. We have to combine into one." Something in Featherstar's voice told the white leader that she wasn't too keen on the idea but forced the words out.

"So does this mean you'll agree to join with Windclan? I still need to talk with Wolfstar and Hawkstar."

"Riverclan will follow the guidance of Starclan and join you," the grey leader replied quietly. "You should continue on before it get's too late."

.

Now that they were out of the camp and traveling through the forest, Icestar new every word Featherstar said was forced. She made it too easy. The Riverclan leader clearly did not want to combine the clans. But she already said yes so it didn't matter anymore.

Icestar, Mudwhsiker and Breezetail strode through Fourtrees and waited at the Shadowclan border for someone. A small hunting part managed to find them and reluctantly bring them to camp. They didn't like having their enemies in their camp.

Icestar walked into Wolfstar's den and explained how she was the Windclan leader. She still thought it was his fault Ashstar died but she had to ignore that little fact if this was going to happen. She pretended to act like she had no idea who killed the old leader.

"So now Starclan wants me to lead the clan," she finished.

The dark grey tom was silent for a few heartbeats. His unnerving expression was unreadable. And the shadows the den cast on him didn't help much either.

"Under different circumstances, I would never agree to this," she finally said to her. "But if it's the will of Starclan, I don't have much of a choice. It still doesn't seem right though…"

Icestar understood how he felt. If it were the other way around, she wouldn't want to let him lead her clan along with the others. "I hate to rush you but I don't have much time," she said as inoffensive as possible. The sun was starting to go down and she had to cross the Thunderpath again to get to Thunderclan before it got too dark. "The four leaders can get into more detail about this later but I need an answer. Will you combine Shadowclan with Windclan, Riverclan and Thunderclan?"

Wolfstar looked away, sorting his thoughts. Icestar wished she knew what the dark tom was thinking.

"Fine," he eventually said. "I still don't like it but if it's what Starclan wanted, I can't afford to turn on them. I wasn't quite sure if Owlgaze was telling the truth about this but now…" He trailed off and Icestar knew he wasn't going to finish the sentence. Unlike Featherstar, the Shadowclan leader didn't have any problem with expressing his true feelings on the situation.

"Thank you," she said with a nod. "After this is done, there will be peace at last."

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The three Windclan cats then scurried across the Thunderpath for a second time and into the forest. They waited by the Thunderclan border. When a patrol found them, it took a lot of persuading for them to finally allow the Windclan cats onto their land.

Once they arrived in the Thunderclan camp, they received many unpleasant glares but Icestar ignored them.

Just like she did with Wolfstar, Icestar explained how she became leader and the dream to Hawkstar.

"So what do you say?" she asked at last. "Will Thunderclan join Windclan, Riverclan and Shadowclan?"

"How do you expect me to possible agree to this?" Hawkstar demanded much to Icestar's surprise. Enraged, he continued on. "Starclan must be mistaken! Wanting to combine the clans is one thing but to put you in charge?" Hawkstar was certainly much calmer at gatherings. "It doesn't make any sense!"

Icestar gave the Thunderclan leader a moment to calm down. She needed to stay relaxed or they would end up just yelling and hissing at each other. "I understand you don't like the idea too much but Starclan sent the same message to all the leaders. We have to trust in what they tell us."

Hawkstar turned and stared at her through his cold, narrowed eyes. For a moment, Icestar was afraid he was somehow reading her thoughts by the way he looked at her. Hawkstar stayed motionless for what seemed like a very long time before he finally spoke again. "Fine," he said quietly, dropping a touch of ice into the single word. Just by saying one word, he was basically saying many other things like 'you give me no choice. I really don't want to agree or even answer you now but I can't fight three clans alone.' Icestar got the message.

"Thank you," she said with a polite nod before exiting the den then the camp with the two warriors.

_I have no doubt that Hawkstar will still fight this. I'm actually surprised he gave me an answer._

_It's official then; Very soon, the clans will combine. I realize many cats are still against this. In fact, I bet the other leaders didn't tell their clan this. The warriors in the other clans wont like the whole thing either. The only reason the leaders agreed was because they think Starclan sent them the message. But all along, it's been Shadowthorn and his friends. At this rate, no one can stop us. They're too afraid of what Starclan might do if they go against what they say. No one will speak out before it's too late._

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**A/N: This took forever to write and yet I have an awful feeling that it was rushed . . . Oh well… Like I said, I'll be going through each chapter later.**

**This story is almost over… Gee, it sure has been fun. By the way, who wants to see Nightpaw's medicine cat ceremony? Or should I just have him come back to camp with a new name? You're choice. And who liked the new warrior names?**

**I have a little message to a guest I am to refer to as 12****- You mentioned Icestar and Breezetail having kits. But how could you say that when you don't even know how I plan to end the story? xD I wish I could say more but spoilers are bad. I will say this though; they will not be having kits in this story. But I do have something planned for the epilogue of the sequel. Like I said, you don't know who I will end the story so… You'll have to wait and see. :J **

**Have a nice day~**


	46. Unknowing

_Chapter 46_

Several days passed since Icestar spoke to the other leaders. No clan intruded on another's territory or hunted their prey or anything else, which was expected. Everyone assumed the other clans needed to think over what was happening; what Icestar brought apon them.

When the next half moon came, Nightpaw and Heatherwish left camp to the Moonstone. There were clouds in the night sky but none covered the moon. The wind was blowing hard. Nightpaw attempted to start a conversation with his mentor but it was hard to hear and he needed to repeat himself before realizing chatting could wait.

The medicine cats arrived at Highstones right after Firestripe from Shadowclan. The others came soon after. Coldstone and Echopaw from Riverclan, then Goldenfur and Willowleaf of Thunderclan. There haven't been so many medicine cats in the forest at once in a long time.

"Hello everyone," Heatherwish said when they where all together next to Mothermouth. The others all said their hellos before continuing.

"So," Coldstone began. "A lot has happened in the past quarter moon." The cats all agreed.

"The messages from Starclan;" Firestripe added. "Icestar ruling the forest…"

Goldenfur shook her head. "I can't believe Ashstar died. And now we need to combine the clans."

Whillowleaf tilted her head. "It still doesn't make sense. Why all of a sudden? Starclan never hinted we would need to do this; it's hard to believe."

"Perhaps something else is happening. Something we have no knowledge of that's going on behind the senses," Heatherwish suggested.

While the discussed this, Nightpaw noticed he and Echopaw where the only ones not getting involved into the topic. He thought about walking over to her but decided against it.

His attention snapped back when Heatherwish changed the subject and said Nightpaw was getting his medicine cat name tonight.

"Congratulations," Echopaw told him full-heartedly.

Before Nightpaw could reply, Heatherwish spoke up. "Let's head to the Moonstone now," she meowed. "It's time to talk to Starclan."

It seemed to Nightpaw that the others all decided to let him go first for that's what happened. He didn't want to lead them through the cave but didn't want to argue and look scared either.

The dark grey tom walked into Mothermouth with the four cats following him into the darkness. Just like the last time he came, the hard ground was cold and the air was ominous and damp.

He couldn't see his own paws as he wandered through the cave. Nightpaw has traveled through the cave before, of course, but he hasn't leaded the way before.

By trusting his memory, the tunnel soon opened up and the cats behold the glow of the Moonstone. The medicine cats all knew what to do very well; they stepped forward, circling the shining stone and touched it with their noses.

Nightpaw opened his eyes to see the Moonstone was gone and he was, surprisingly, at Fourtrees. The apprentice glanced around; no one was there. He turned around again and saw a cat suddenly appear in front of him.

"Cloudheart," he whispered like he hasn't said the name in moons.

The white she-cat smiled and walked closer to him. "It's been a while," she said with a calming, gentle voice.

Seeing the old clanmate made Nightpaw feel guilty. He could never stop from feeing like it was his fault she died when Thunderclan attacked them; she died trying to protect him. He tried to push the thoughts aside. "So am I ready for my medicine cat name?" he asked her hopefully.

Cloudheart nodded. "But I must tell you something first."

Her expression was now pure seriousness. Nightpaw began to get an uneasy feeling. "What is it?" He asked, sitting down now.

"The clans are in grave danger," Cloudheart began. "The current situation you're in; there is much more to it then everyone knows."

Nightpaw frowned. "What do you mean? The thing with Icestar?"

Cloudheart nodded and went on. "The clans are at risk of being destroyed from the inside," she said in a tone that sent chills down Nightpaw's back. "And you cannot save them."

Nightpaw stared at her with shock. "If I can't help the clans, why are you telling me this?"

Cloudheart shook her head and said, "No. You can help them. In fact, you must. But you cannot save them."

The apprentice's mind was boggled. "What's the difference?" he asked with irritation. The Starclan cat wasn't explaining very well.

Cloudheart ignored the question. "You alone cannot save them but you can assist the ones who can."

Nightpaw held in a sigh. _If I'm assisting someone who is saving the clans, doesn't that mean I'm saving the clans too?" _He figured the question wasn't worth asking. "Please tell me: who should I go to?"

"I can't tell you that."

"Why not?" Nightpaw asked, somehow remaining calm.

"Because I don't know," the she-cat answered. "You need to discover what's happening first, then you'll know who to talk to."

Nightpaw thought for a moment. "Alright," he said with a nod.

The dark grey tom was about to say more before Cloudheart spoke again. "There are many secrets in the forest; dark secrets that everyone is blind to. They need to learn the truth."

"But where do I start? Who is the one I need to look out for?" In moments like these, there is always at least a single cat who's behind it. Perhaps Cloudheart would tell him that much.

The Starclan cat stared at her paws, pondering whether or not to tell him the name. Finally she looked up at him. "The cat who is behind this is-"

She paused. Nightpaw heard a voice but her mouth wasn't moving.

"Nightpaw."

_No, I'm waking up!"_

Cloudheart noticed this too and she panicked for a heartbeat before shouting something. But Nightpaw was already fading out of his sleep and whatever she said sounded like a mutter.

He jumped up with a start, once again in the cave. The moonstone was still shining brightly. He turned to see Echopaw was standing over him. "Are you alright?"

_Mouse dung, _Nightpaw growled in his head. Instead of saying that to the young she-cat, he stood up and said, "Yeah. I'm fine."

As if she could read his thoughts, Echopaw looked guilty. "I'm sorry; you were twitching and meowing… I guess I shouldn't have waken you up for that though."

It was easy to forgive her, despite the situation. She was definitely not the most experienced medicine cat in the cave and looking at her, it was impossible to stay mad.

"It's alright. The dream was about to end anyway." That seemed to make the light grey she-cat feel better for she smiled meekly at him and returned to her mentor.

The other medicine cats walked over to Nightpaw and Heatherwish spoke up. "Starclan has decided you are ready to become a full medicine cat. I, Heatherwish, medicine cat of Windclan, call upon my warrior ancestors to look down on this apprentice. He has trained hard to understand the ways of a medicine cat and with your help, he will serve his clan for many moons.

"Nightpaw, do you promise to uphold the ways of a medicine cat, to stand apart from rivalry between clan and clan and to protect all cats equally, even at the cost of your life?"

"I do," Nightpaw said calmly even with the excitement inside him.

"Then by the powers of Starclan, I give you your true name as a medicine cat. Nightpaw, from this moment on you will be known as Nightwind. Starclan honors your love for your clan, and we welcome you as a full medicine cat of Windclan." Heatherwish rested her muzzle on his head and Nightwind licked the mentors' shoulder. Then the other medicine cats behind her all called his name in the echoing cave.

"Nightwind, Nightwind!"

_Nightwind, _the tom thought. _Named after Windclan. I love it._

"Thank you," he said to Heatherwish.

"Don't thank me," she replied with a smile. "Thank Starclan.

The conversation between him and Cloudhert jumped back into his mind. He needed to do something to help the clans but what? She never told him who he needs to watch for. _I have no idea what to do next._

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Thunderclan camp was in an uproar when Hawkstar announced what Icestar said to him. Of course, he explained right after it happened but he was vague and the clan demanded more details.

"This is an outrage," one warrior hissed from the around under the Highrock.

Hawkstar flicked his tail for silence. "This is only what Icestar wants. This doesn't mean I plan to follow through on it."

"But you already agreed," he saw Tigerstripe point out.

"I know that," the leader spat and went on. "A Starclan cat told me the same thing she did; but something isn't right. I don't know what or why but I can _feel_ it. Goldenfur and Willowleaf agree with me on this. Now we don't have the power or the numbers to go against Starclan and the other clans, which is why I had to choice, but to agree. There is something Starclan and Icestar isn't telling me and until I find out what that something is, we are going along with their plan."

"But joining with the other clans? That's just not right!" Another warrior yelled.

"We don't have a choice! Like I said, days ago, the other leaders already agreed as well. I don't know how much they like Icestars' plan but no one is going to disobey Starclan after directly being told what to do."

None of the cats liked it but everyone knew there was really no other option at the moment.

_None of this is right, _Redshade thought as he sat below the Highrock. He stared at his paws, wondering what Icestar was thinking. He was glad for his friend becoming leader but he never expected this from her. He needed to get into contact with her about this and soon.

Before he looked back up at Hawkstar, he noticed his apprentice sitting next to him and the look her Dawnpaws eyes froze him down to the core. Her mouth was gaped slightly open like she just saw the biggest mouse in the forest; pure awe. And her eyes were shining with excitement.

The mentor began to panic. _What is Starclan does that mean? Does Dawnpaw like what Hawkstar explained or… is she actually supporting this 'one-clan' idea?" _He didn't want to think about it.

_I'm just over thinking this… It's probably nothing. _

Hawkstar dismissed the Thunderclan cats and he walked into his den, looking exhausted. Without putting enough thought into it, Redshade quickly followed the leader in. "Hawkstar," he said as he joined him in the den.

"What is it?"

"It's about the combined clans; whatever happens, you can't combine Thunderclan with the others." He suddenly regretted saying that.

Hawkstar snapped his head over in his direction with anger in his eyes. "Then what do you suggest I do?! I never like admitting it but we don't stand a chance against Windclan, Shadowclan and Riverclan!"

"Then…" He paused, wondering if he should continue. "Then let me go talk to Icestar."

"Why should I do that?" Hawkstar asked with a mixture of frustration and surprise.

"Because we need more information on this and I don't think she'll give it to a leader or a deputy just yet. Icestar is hiding something."

Hawkstar sat down in his nest. He nodded slowly, either too tired of arguing to keep going or he actually agreed. "Alright. I doubt she would tell _you _anything but there would be no harm…" By watching the leaders expression, Redshade knew he was starting to have second thoughts. Thinking something like _'what if there will be some harm?' _

He spoke quickly before Hawkstar could change his mind. "Great. Thanks Hawkstar."

Redshade padded out of the den, wondering if he should leave today or tomorrow. He looked up at the sky; the sun was still very high. "I'll go now," she whispered to himself and set off.

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Redshade ran through the forest effortlessly; he's been on the same route countless times before. From gathering to just meeting up with friends, going to Fourtrees was like a stroll through camp for the red warrior.

Once he reached the gathering place, Redshade paused at the Windclan border. The forest suddenly ended and he gazed at the seemingly endless field of grass. No matter how many times he's seen the moor, the sight was always surprising. The only annoying part was how windy it was.

The Thunderclan cat didn't have to wait long before a Windclan patrol spotted him and padded over. In the patrol were Bramblestripe, Rainpaw, Silverstone and Stormtooth. Little did he know Rainpaw was a warrior now.

"Thunderclan," Stormtooth glowered. "What do you want?"

"I just need to speak to Icestar," Redshade replied calmly. Usually, the large tom would be intimidating but he was already used to Thistlescar.

Bramblestripe took a step closer, showing she was actually leading the patrol. "Good to see you again, Redshade," she she-cat said cheerfully. Redshade noticed an annoyed look on Stormtooth.

"Hello Bramblestripe," he said quickly before getting to the point. "So yeah, I need to talk to Icestar.

"Alright, no problem," she said casually. Redshade thanked her and the five cats began walking through the moor. He overheard Stormtooth talking to her.

"Just like that? You can't let a Thunderclan cat on out patrol so easily, " he growled in a low voice.

"Nonsense," Bramblestripe replied. "Redshade and Icestar are friends; I'm sure she wont have a problem with it."

Redshade was somewhat relieved when they finally got to the Windclan camp; being out in the open made him nervous. The camp was still very open as well but at least there were other cats around.

Bramblestripe hurried to the Tallrock where Icestar apparently was. The Thunderclan tom waited for a moment before she said Icestar could chat with it.

"What are you doing here?" Icestar asked with no hint of anger or distrust. She was just asking a question.

"I needed to talk to you. About the combing clans."

Icestar nodded like that's what she expected him to say and brought him to the edge of camp. She remained calm but looked glad he decided to visit. "So what is it?"

"Everyone in the forest is thinking the same thing," the tom informed her. "You're hiding something, Icestar. There is something about Starclan contacting all the leaders and you leading one clan that just isn't right." He spoke as politely as possible but he desperately wanted answers.

There was no offense in the leaders eyes. "You think I always dreamed of leading the whole forest as a kit? I didn't ask for this." That much was true. "After what I was told, I believe this will actually help. Think about how many less deaths there would be with only one clan," she meowed to him. "Less battles, less war, less loss. Even I can't stop this now."

"But even if that's true, no one thinks this is the right thing to do. Even with the decrease in death and fighting, there is always supposed to be only four clans in the forest."

The white she-cat shook her head. "Not anymore," she replied simply.

Redshade groaned. Why couldn't Icestar understand? "Don't you see? It's all about balance!" He had no idea why, but that's when Icestar suddenly snapped. Balance was what Cloudheart kept saying to her when they were talking in her dreams. Icestar was tired of that word.

"Look," she commanded. "The clans will combine into one and I will be the leader. There is nothing you can do or say to stop me," she said with a more fierce tone now. "I realize not everyone sees this my way yet but they will. Soon, everyone will understand!"

"No matter what Starclan supposedly said, this isn't right," Redshade insisted. He wanted to keep the conversation calm but there was no point anymore. "So far, all I know is Dawnpaw might agree with you but-"

"Dawnpaw?" Redshade spoke without thinking again and wished he didn't bring his apprentice into this. "She agrees..." He could basically see Icestar's mind turning in thought.

She suddenly looked at the Thunderclan warrior again, now more relaxed. "I think it's time you leave."

Redshade opened his mouth to speak but had nothing to say. He looked into the leaders eyes and her pleasure was very obvious. Most likely because of what he said about Dawnpaw. Now he just wanted to leave. There was no way he could change Icestar's mind and now that he might have brought Dawnpaw into this.

Redshade said goodbye flatly and reluctantly followed a few Windclan cats to the border. He insisted he didn't need them to guide him but they didn't want him wandering their land alone.

When he was finally out of Windclan territory, Redshade thought everything over and could only come up with one thought. _This is not good._

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**A/N: Hi. Thanks for reading, everyone! =D Who likes Nightwind's name? I have been thinking about that one for weeks. **

**I know some people would like to see less of other characters and more Icestar, since this is about her, but I promise we'll get back to her in the next chapter. Probably…**

**Good news! I just learned I'm getting a laptop on the 16****th****! The older readers can remember when I used to update every single day before my laptop broke. Good times.**

**Try saying _Less battle, less war, less loss_ five times fast.  
**

**Well that's about it for now. Please review! (and)**

**Have a nice day~**


	47. Before it Began

_Chapter 47_

_That could have gone differently, _Icestar thought as she rested in the sunshine behind the Tallrock. The sky was cloudless, allowing the light to cover the moor. She was thinking back to the day before when Redshade came for a visit and she snapped at him. Thinking back to it, she wished she didn't start yelling at him.

_I basically challenged him… I should have said something to convince him instead. _Everything something like this happens between Icestar and her friends, she always gets a sickly feeling that it would change their relationship. But it couldn't be helped; she knew she needed to get her mind off of it.

Icestar stood up and turned to the clan, watching the warriors walk in and out of camp. She tried to get occupied with the clan but somehow, Redshade appeared back in her head. _Is he going to try avoiding me at the next gathering or confront me again? _Icestar pondered when she thought about the gathering that was in about half a moon. _Maybe I should apologize to him then…_

Her thoughts where interrupted when Mudwhisker padded up to the leader. "Icestar," he began towards to relieved leader. "Stonepaths' border patrol just returned; nothing suspicious by the borders and the warriors brought back some prey as well."

"Great," Icestar meowed. She waited a moment and changed the topic. "How is the clan reacting to the combined clan thing?" She was thinking about asking around to find out for herself, but she knew not all the warriors would speak their mind to her of all cats about that subject.

Mudwhisker was silent for a moment, thinking out his answer. His ear twitched and he answered, "Honestly, they're not all thrilled about it."

Icestar nodded and looked away to her clanmates. She expected that kind of answer. "Does _anyone _support it?" She asked the deputy, turning back to him.

Mudwhisker tilted his head in thought. "Yeah, a few warriors seem to like the idea; they say it'll make everyone stronger."

Icestar held in a smile. "Well that's the idea… Who are they?"

"Rockstorm was one of them…" The leader didn't expect that but she didn't show it.

"Anyone else?"

Mudwhisker nodded. "Yes but I can't remember." He looked somewhat disappointed.

No problem," she answered cheerfully. "I need to go do something. Why don't you get yourself some fresh-kill?"

The small brown deputy smiled. "Thanks," he said simply and paced over to the fresh-kill pile.

Icestar glanced around the camp and saw some cats talking. They were Nightwind, Runningshade and Rockstorm. _Perfect, _the white she-cat thought and walked over to them.

"Hello," she started when she joined the cats.

"Hi Icestar," Nightwind welcomed.

"What are you talking about?" After she spoke, the tree cats all looked a little nervous before Rockstorm finally answered.

"We're talking about the joined clans."

"Oh well don't mind me," Icestar said. When the others didn't say anything back, she added, "It's not like this was my idea." What she said seemed to have gotten through to them. She was telling them that though she was supposed to be the leader of the huge clan, she might feel the same way about the situation as them.

"Well I was just saying that I kind of like the idea," Rockstorm said boldly.

Nightwind shook his head. "I still don't know. It's just what the other medicine cat's said; something isn't right about this."

Runningshade shifted her weight. "I agree; I would like the clans to remain as four."

So that's it. Rockstorm supported the plan, Nightwind wasn't sure and Runningshade didn't like it. "I don't know if I'll be able to lead all those cats by myself," the leaders said truthfully.

Runningshade glanced at the white she-cat. "I don't see why this in necessary. We survived many lifetimes in four clans; why does Starclan think we can't survive now?"

"I don't think we should question them," Rockstorm mentioned. "Right Nightwind?"

Nightwind looked baffled like he was just torn away from his thoughts and had no idea what was going on. Before he could answer, Runningshade answered for him. "Oh don't put him that kind of situation," she scolded.

"What do you mean?"

"He's a medicine cat; if he agrees with me, he wouldn't say so. Right Nightwind?" The medicine cat looked even more confused now: torn between answers. He glanced over to Icestar for help.

An excuse for the medicine cat to get out of the conversation sprung into her mind. She would just tell him that Heatherwish needed him. She opened her mouth to say that but was interrupted by a voice behind her.

"Hey everyone." The voice was from Mapleshine. She walked next to the leader and joined the group. "What's going on?" There was a shade of relief in Nightwind's eyes.

"We're talking about the joining clans," Rockstorm said for the second time.

"Oh," the rich brown she-cat said more sullenly now. "I see."

"What's your opinion on it?" Runningshade asked the young cat.

Mapleshine shrugged. "I don't know."

The scarred warrior looked at her uncertainly.

She sighed and finally said, "I don't really like the idea of one clan."

Icestar was taken back by this. Her own apprentice was against her plan… "Why is that?" The leader asked, trying to make it sound like she asked purely for the sake of her own curiosity.

Mapleshine sat down. "I think the clans need to stay as four. It just seems… right."

"And one clan is wrong?"

"Well," she looked down at her paws for a moment and back at Icestar. "Yeah." The look on the leaders face told Mapleshine that she needed to explain a bit farther. "It just seems like something about this is missing. Like someone is hiding something." The leader purposely missed the she-cats' gaze and instead, glanced at Rockstorm to se how he was taking it. The tom looked almost offended.

"But it would make us stronger," he pointed out right away. Icestar assumed they didn't already have this conversation, which was surprising.

"Strength isn't the most important thing in life."

"I know that," the tom said calmly. This suddenly became a conversation between them while Icestar, Nightwind and Runningshade watched on the sidelines. "It's survival, right? This will help us; Starclan said so. You want to disobey them?"

Mapleshine looked away. No one else spoke. Icestar was glad the two had the discussion so calmly unlike she and Redshade but there was still a stiff air between them. She decided to cut in. "Nightwind, I think Heatherwish is signaling for us to come to her," the leader said, gesturing towards to medicine cat den with her tail.

Nightwind caught on quick. "Yeah I think so. See you guys later," he said to the others and walked away with the leader.

"Thanks," he said when they were out of earshot.

"Anytime," Icestar replied plainly. She looked up at the sky to see about what time of day it was. It was just after Sunhigh. "Well… I think I'll do some hunting."

"Have fun," he answered casually. Unlike the leader, he actually did need to talk to the other medicine cat. The leader nodded good-bye and padded away while he turned to the den.

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"Heatherwish?" Nightwind said as he entered the den.

"Yes?" He spun around when he heard the she-cat speak up from behind him. The medicine cat passed him before he answered and sat down in the den.

"I need to tell you something; it's about my medicine cat ceremony."

"Did you dream about something important?" Heatherwish asked, suddenly alert.

Nightwind nodded, still wondering how to word what he wanted to say. "Yeah. Cloudheart came to me and she said… She said some things."

"What kind of things?"

"I can't remember exactly but she said something is going on. I mean, something about combing the clans that we don't know about. Everyone's suspicions are right."

The she-cat stared at him, hungry for more information. "Did she be specific?"

"Not really," he said and frowned. "She was about to say who was behind this but then I started to wake up; I never got the answer."

"Oh," Heatherwish muttered. "Well she did warn us. We need to start looking into this."

Nightwind looked away, unsure with what he was planning to say. He eventually turned to the she-cat and blurted out, "Do you think its Icestar?"

"What?" That was all she managed to say to his sudden observation.

He recalled what he said. "Yeah, forget I said that… That wouldn't be it." He looked away again.

Heatherwish tilted her head and her ear twitched. "Wondering about it now won't do much. Could you go get more marigold and poppy seeds?"

Nightwind nodded and walked out.

_Could he be right? _Heatherwish wondered as she watched the dark grey tom leave. _Is it possible that… _She froze when an old memory appeared in her head. _The prophecy. __Trust will die and death will revive. Only then will darkness befall the path of ice._

_Ice… What's going on here?_

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A half moon has passed. The night sky was partly cloudy and the wind was as strong as usual. The combining clans were still the main topic in the camp and Icestar had a feeling that was the same for all clans.

The white she-cat fought through the wind towards Fourtrees. She waited long enough; it was time to talk to Shadowthorn again.

Like always, they quickly found each other.

"Are you ready for the gathering tomorrow?" the dark tom asked her.

Icestar nodded. A cold gust of wind blew through the trees then calmed down. "I know what I'm going to say. The clans will combine in a matter of days."

Her father smirked very faintly and sat back. "Good. Now you know the risk your taking here, right?"

Icestar nodded. "Yeah. If this doesn't work… Well, I'll be in trouble. We both will."

"But it will work. Everyone thinks this is Starclans' idea. Soon, even they will understand this is right."

_I hope so, _the she-cat thought. "What if they get in the way and tell someone about you and our plan?"

"It'll be too late," he said confidently. "The gathering is tomorrow. If you explain the plan well enough, other cats will agree. Even if someone speaks up, you will have too many supporters by then."

"How can you sure?" She asked, shifting her weight.

"I just do. There is no room for doubt here." Icestar nodded. Shadowthorn was right about that much.

The two cats talked for a while longer. They clarified anything they needed to and discussed anything that they missed.

"It's getting late," the brown and black tom finally said. "You should get back to camp. You have a big day tomorrow," he added with another smirk.

Icestar sighed. "Yeah I do." _It all begins tomorrow._

The leader left her father and traveled through the moor once more, dreading the net day and yet, also excited. _I hope this works. It has to._

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The night was a little too long then Icestar would prefer. She had some trouble getting to sleep but knew she managed when the morning sun woke her the next day.

_Today's the gathering, _she reminded herself. _The day everything is decided. _

Not long after, Icestar jumped onto the Tallrock and called the clan over. "The cats who will join me for the gathering are Mudwhisker, Heatherwish, Nightwind, Mapleshine, Rockstorm, Snowpelt, Stormtooth, Stonepath, Rainblossom and Runningshade." The leader chose the cats carefully. She had to bring along Stonepath, Rainblossom and Mapleshine since they were new warriors but she wanted to bring Rockstorm along anyway. The others were cats who she expected to either agree with her or needed convincing and the gathering was the perfect moment to do so.

"For the cats who were chosen, please get some rest before the gathering. Clan meeting dismissed." Icestar wished she could bring more warriors to this gathering particularly but she didn't want to worry the other leaders by outnumbering them.

When she hopped down from the Tallrock, she spotted her friends, Breezetail, Bramblestripe and Rowanpelt, talking. She head them say the words _combining_ and _clans _and instantly knew what they were talking about. She thought about joining them to learn their thoughts on all of this but decided not to. They could chat after the gathering and she suspected they wouldn't say much anyway.

The white she-cat was about to walk over to the fresh-kill pile but saw a tom in the corner of her eye; it was Gravelstone. She hated to admit it, but the elder was always far from her thoughts for some reason.

She walked over to the blind cat. "Hello," she said when she got close enough.

Gravelstone's eyes were distant and stared off into nothing. "Hello Icestar. How are you?"

"I'm fine, I guess. Even though I'll be talking in front of the whole forest for the first time tonight," she pointed out.

"Yes, I remember my first time."

"What?" Icestar didn't expect that. "Why did you speak instead of Ashstar?"

"It was when Ashstar got Greencough many moons before you joined Windclan. Heatherwish wouldn't let him leave camp for the gathering so I spoke in his place. That's one of the many duties of being deputy."

"Oh." Icestar never knew that. It was never brought into conversation. Ashstar was never sick during a gathering so she never needed to speak for him. No one told her that much. "Where you nervous?"

"Very," Gravelstone said with a smile like the question amused him. "But when I stood on the Great Rock, it felt like I belonged up there with the other leaders."

Icestar's heart sank. _You thought it was your destiny to become leader… But that didn't happen. Now that will never happen. _She suddenly felt bad for the elder. Again. She was surprised he was taking his life so well. At least he's alive.

"When you step on the Great Rock, remind the others that you are the leader of Windclan. You have nothing to fear when you're up there."

Once again, Gravelstone's words reached Icestar and encouraged her. "Thanks," she said full heartedly.

"Now you have things to do. Don't let me keep you…"

Icestar chuckled and said good-bye before walking away, leaving the blind elder to himself.

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Unlike the night before, the day went by too quickly. Before she knew it, Icestar was gathered up with the other cats, about to leave camp. The moon was high in the sky and she was surprised to see that no clouds were in the moons' path. _I thought Cloudheart and her buddies wouldn't want me to make this speech. Maybe Shadowthorn's friends are keeping the clouds away._

"Are you ready?" Mudwhisker asked from behind her. The she-cat spun around to answer.

"Yes. Let's go." Icestar and half of her warriors along with the medicine cats hurried to Fourtrees. She noticed the moor wasn't very windy as they ran through the moonlit field.

When they arrived, Riverclan was already there. The clans mingled together while Icestar found her way on top of the Great Rock with Featherstar.

"Hello Icestar," the she-cat said with a quaint nod.

"Hi," Icestar replied, occupied with the view that the Great Rock gave. She had the perfect view of the cats below and was easily able to see Thunderclan walk into Fourtrees. Hawkstar come onto the rock moments later. He said hello but nothing more.

"So are you nervous?" Featherwish asked to break the silence. When Icestar nodded, she smiled. Everyone seemed to be asking Icestar the same thing. "You'll get used to it."

Shadowclan came moments after and Wolfstar was the last to climb the Great Rock.

"So who's going to speak first?" Icestar asked, wondering if that was a mouse-brained question.

"Anyone of us could but I think everyone wants to hear what _you_ want to say," Wolfstar added. Icestar was surprised he actually spoke to her.

Icestar nodded and stepped to the edge of the rock, looking down at the crowd that quickly doubled in size. "Uh, attention everyone!" She called to silence them. "Please quite down!"

It took a few heartbeats by the cats below soon stopped talking and all looked up at her. Remembering what Gravelstone told her, Icestar dismissed her nervousness and summoned up some courage. "I will speak first. I'm sure everyone wants more information of combining the clans." She saw many heads nod below. "Well now I will explain everything."

"I know a lot of cats aren't fond of the idea of one clan yet. But this is truly for the better; think about how strong the warriors will become. Combined, each cat can share the techniques they know and we can all become more skilled in every area. Also, everyone knows of the power in numbers. Dogs, foxes and badgers wont be a problem anymore. That also goes for rogues and kitty pets.

"With so many more warriors, more prey. The clan will be well fed even during leaf-bare. Each cat will have the whole forest to hunt in: no territory restrictions."

At this point, she began to slow down. She was getting to the points that where more important to the warriors individually. "In the way we currently are, think about your friends and family. We're surrounded by fighting and war. To the mothers and fathers out there, think about the world your kits are growing up into: a world where we live to fight each other just to eat. In one clan, they will know a happier, calmer life; a life where your biggest concern is if you're going to get attacked and killed." She watched the cats below as they began to look a little more uncertain.

"Windclan was once raided by a clan-sized gang of rogues. They kidnapped one of my closest friends and attacked us, killing a queen and injuring many more. If the clan were bigger, then no one would need to die. The elders and queens would have more defenses from the warriors. As warriors, we are in constant danger from each other. Why is that? It's because Starclan arranged us like that a long time ago. And now they are correcting themselves. It's time to unite once more, or die fighting for meaningless battles."

Many whispered and murmurs spread through the crowd of cats. She couldn't be sure just yet, but Icestar felt that they were starting to have second thoughts. _This is going well._

"Hold on," a cat below spoke up. Icestar looked down to see it was Eagleflight from Shadowclan. There wee many annoyed and nervous glanced around him but the brown tom ignored them. "You said we would have more prey during Leaf-bare but we would also have more mouths to feed. So joining clans wont help the struggle there!"

Icestar answered calmly. She already thought about some questions the warriors would have and pre-thought about an answer. "But during Leaf-bare, we already conserve prey. Also, we wouldn't have to worry about borders. There was always enough prey in the forest before and there still is during that time. But this time, if you see a mouse across the border, you can go after it without having to worry about getting attacked by an enemy cat. During Leaf-bare, it will still be hard. But just not _as_ hard."

Eagleflight fell silent. "Any other questions?" Icestar asked loudly.

"What would be the point of learning to fight if there are no other clans?" A she-cat form Riverclan asked. Icestar knew the cat to be Lilypool.

"We fight to survive right?" It was hard to see from above, but Lilypool nodded. "There are still many dangers around us such as dogs and foxes. We still need to fight them off. We will learn to fight but our claws wont have to shed blood so often."

"Will the clans be like this forever?" Before answering, Icestar scanned the crowd to see who spoke. She was somewhat surprised to see it was Mapleshine. Her voice was hopeful but also afraid of the answer.

"Most likely," Icestar said simply. She noticed the she-cats' ears drop.

Another cat spoke louder out of the whispers in the group. "Yes, we will have more warriors to protect our queens and elders, but we will also have more queens and elders." Goldenfur, the Thunderclan medicine cat pointed out.

Icestar nodded. "Yeah but as one clan, we would move into one camp. In this camp, all the dens will be much larger. The queens will still be protected as well as the elders just like they would in a smaller camp."

The white she-cat heard the lighter voice of an apprentice from below. She looked down to see it was Frostpaw from Riverclan who spoke this time. "What will happen if you die? And why can't Featherstar lead the clan? Riverclan is way better!" Icestar saw the shock in the warriors around the young she-cat and saw a cat near her snap something but couldn't make out the words.

"Just like usual, I will have a deputy. The deputy will be chosen later." She cleared her throat and tried to catch the apprentices gaze. "And Starclan chose me to lead." That was exactly what she feared; cat's arguing over certain things such as who leads because they think their clan is better, then though later on, who's from which clan wont matter.

"Where would the camp be?" Liontail of Thunderclan asked. Icestar knew they were running out of questions by now.

"Everything relating to the camp and how things will work will be explained later. First I need to see how many of you support what Starclan is trying to do for us." After answering, no one else spoke. The white she-cat assumed they couldn't think of anything else to ask so she decided to say the last part of her speech.

"We've always struggled," she began. "But now that end for good. If we join forces and become one, we will survive together. I know it's hard to change and it's hard to move on. But now it's time or we will only kill ourselves in fights and battled for nothing. We fight for prey but now we could hunt wherever we want. We fight for territory but now we can have it all. It must have been hard for the first cats to start the clans to change their ways. But they did it and look at what they made; four organized clans under Starclan. And now we must do the same again and become one clan under Starclan. Now who's ready for change? Who's ready for a better life?"

She was pleased with the response. Several cats rose to their paws and yowled in agreement. There were still many cats who didn't but the numbers have definitely increased. Besides: there isn't anything they could do but go along with the plan since they wouldn't want to disobey Starclan and their leaders who already agreed.

"Then I guess it's decided," Wolfstar said from behind her. "Starclan spoke and now we must join together."

Icestar nodded and turned to Featherstar and Hawkstar. Featherstar nodded with Wolfstar and Hawkstar just started at her grimly. He was obviously unhappy. "We don't have a choice," he finally muttered. Icestar turned to the crowd again.

"Alright then," she said to the crowd that now quieted down. "Together, we'll become one."

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**A/N: I wonder how many of you are irritated by the ignorance of well, just about everyone…**

**Also, please help me out here. I couldn't think of many questions for the clans to ask and I feel very unsatisfied with what I have. Please tell me your questions and/or comments about what Icestar is doing and I'll put it in this chapter if it fits. ^-^**

**I planned it all out and I think I'll manage to fit the rest in two or three more chapters. (I'm shooting for two) I'd like the 50****th**** chapter to be the first chapter for the sequel or something…**

**Anyway, thanks for reading and please tell me what you think by reviewing.**

**Have a nice day~**


	48. Becoming One

_Chapter 48_

Icestar wasn't as surprised as she thought she would be when Bramblestripe woke her up the next morning.

The crisp morning air welcomed her. There were few clouds in the sky and the usual moor breeze calmed down for the moment.

"Icestar, we need to chat," Bramblestripe told her, breaking her out of her sleep. When the leader looked up at her friend, she noticed Bramblestripe had something serious on her mind just by looking at her expression.

"What is it?" The she-cat asked with a yawn.

"The warriors have been talking last night about this; they're kind of worried about joining with the other clans."

_Here we go again, _Icestar thought as she got to her paws. "What's to worry about?"

"They don't want to leave this camp; our home," Bramblestripe mewed.

"Well they're isn't much I can do about that. They'll get used to the new camp in no time," she assured her friend.

Bramblestripe didn't reply but just looked at the leader with uncertainty.

Icestar shook her head and added, "I have to go meet with the other leaders later today and if you don't mind, I have other things to get to before then."

Bramblestripe sighed and walked away. Icestar felt somewhat guilty as she watched the grey and black cat leave but it couldn't be helped. She didn't like reminding herself but the Windclan cats will just have to deal with change.

The leader walked out from behind the Tallrock and glanced through the camp. The sun was still rising and few cats have already woken up. She spotted Mudwhisker in the distance and assumed he already sent out the dawn patrol.

As she paced past the Medicine cat den, she stopped when she overheard Heatherwish and Nightwind talking.

"Are you sure? About the ice?" She heard the tom say, almost nervously. Interested, Icestar snuck behind the den, out of sight from the two. She didn't enjoy eavesdropping but if it weren't important, no harm would be done. If it were, then she would want to know why the medicine cats didn't already tell her about whatever they were talking about.

"What else could it mean? There are very few cats who have names referring to ice and it couldn't be them."

Nightwind sighed. "You're right. So what do we do about it?"

Icestar couldn't see through the brambles, but Heatherwish shrugged. "I asked Ashstar the same thing… I don't know."

"It doesn't give us much to work with other then the ice part," Nightwind said. "Trust will die and death with revive. Only then will darkness befall the path of ice."

Icestar froze. _What does he mean by that? _She wondered. _Is that a… a prophecy? _

" I know," Heatherwish admitted. "I think it has something to do with the joining clans but… I don't know what we can do about it. It seems like Starclan is warning us about this 'darkness' even though we can't stop it."

"Well… What should I do about what Cloudheart told me?" Nightwind asked, changing the topic.

_Cloudheart?! _Icestar jerked up in alarm. _Why did Cloudheart talk to Nightwind? Did she tell him what I'm doing?"_

"Maybe you should tell Icesta-" Heatherwish paused mid-sentence.

"What is it?" The tom asked quietly.

"I… I need a while to think about something," the tortoiseshell said vaguely.

"Alright," Nightwind answered after a short pause and Icestar heard him walk out of the den.

Icestar peaked around the side of the den to see Nightwind left to the fresh-kill pile. While no one was watching, the leader dashed back behind the Tallrock to think.

It still whispered quietly in her head: _Trust will die and death with revive. Only then will darkness befall the path of ice. _The ice part; did they think it was her? Ice and Icestar… Made sense but the rest frightened the she-cat. She didn't know what it meant and didn't want to talk about it.

_They said Ashstar knew about this too. And he never told me? _She thought, now a little hurt inside.

_Of course not, _her mind snapped at her. _If there were a prophecy including me and darkness, of course he wouldn't share it! _

Icestar groaned with confusion and slid down to her stomach. She covered her eyes with her paws, trying to forget about the prophecy she overheard, beginning to wish she didn't learn about it in the first place.

_Maybe they just made it up, _she wondered again, unable to keep her mind off of the topic. _They could have staged the whole thing, knowing I would hear so they could scare me._

_And what would be the point of that? _She asked herself in irritation. _They wouldn't do that. It's completely pointless. _

_I need to get out of camp. _Icestar looked up at the sky; the sun was still moving up. She and the other leaders planned to meet at Fourtrees at Sunhigh but that was still a ways away. She decided to leave early; getting away would help clear her thoughts.

Icestar stood up and walked out of camp, knowing she looked rushed.

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"Finally," Icestar said under her breath when the other leaders began to arrive. Since she left camp, the white she-cat wandered the territory, hunted but didn't catch anything, and waited at Fourtrees for what seemed like a very long time.

At last, Wolfstar, Featherstar then Hawkstar joined her at the gathering place.

"So," Icestar began when they were all accounted for. "When will everyone be ready?"

"Hold on," Wolfstar jumped in. "I want to know what you're planning; where is the camp going to be?"

The other two nodded. "Here," the Windclan leader said simply. When the others just stared at her, she continued. "We come to Fourtrees every moon for gatherings. Since we'll all be together, it makes sense to have camp here since it's in the middle of the forest. And every cat is already familiar with it."

The three leaders glanced at each other, seeing Icestars' logic.

"But what are we going to do?" Featherstar asked. "We can't all lead."

"No, you're right," she replied. "That's why I was thinking the three of you could be like deputies. It may be one clan, but it's the same amount of cats; I can't lead them all myself."

Featherstar nodded. "Alright but what about our deputies?"

"They'll just have to become normal warriors again."

Featherstar hesitated for a moment before adding on. "If the three of us are deputies, how do we decide is the next leader?"

"I thought I would put you in an order for leader. For example, the next leader would be Wolfstar, then you, then Hawkstar." She heard Hawkstar scoff at being last but ignore it. The look on Featherstar told her she wanted to ask why she was second but the white cat did say _for example. _

"So you just want us to forget about gatherings? It's a tradition that's been with us since the beginning," Hawkstar mentioned sourly.

"No, I don't want to just forget about them. We'll still have the gatherings but they'll be more like clan meetings but we're still sharing what happened in the past moon." Before another leader could ask a question, Icestar added, "I'd like to explain everything to everyone later."

Ignoring her hint, they still had a few questions bothering them and Icestar managed to answer all of them, knowing she'd have to repeat herself.

After that was over," Icestar got to her point of the meeting. "If it's alright, would you be able to get your clans here tomorrow?"

"Tomorrow?" Wolfstar exclaimed. "That gives us hardly any time to prepare!"

"I'm sure it wouldn't take long," Icestar said calmly. "I'd just like everyone to gather here so I can explain the plan, then we can break and start building the dens but taking apart the dens at the camps and combining them here," she explained just as planned. Icestar spend a long time the past few days, going over how all of this would work.

Icestar spent a while longer going into greater detail for the others before they finally decided that they could work it out to bring the clans together the next day.

"Great," Icestar said cheerfully. Tomorrow, we'll become one."

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The rest of the day went by quickly. When Icestar returned, she called for a clan meeting and explained the plan; that they would gather the next day to finally combine. She could tell her warriors were nervous and figured every cat in the forest felt the same way.

Afterwards, she told everyone to prepare themselves quickly, for they would be heading out any moment.

The sun was still rising and she wanted to get to Fourtrees as soon as possible. Everyone had a lot of work to do for the new camp if they were to finish building the dens soon.

Not long after, Icestar rushed the clan out of camp. For once, Windclan camp was barren and empty. As she looked back, she couldn't help but feel bad about it but forced herself to turn and keep walking.

_It's almost time, _she thought as she and Windclan continued moving through the moor. She ignored the conversations going through the crowd behind her. She knew everyone was talking about what they were currently doing and happy or not, they had to follow through on it.

Icestar jumped onto the Great Rock like she did only two days ago and watched the other clans fill the area. In her head, she was picturing how the camp would look until the other leaders joined her. They didn't say anything but just nodded to her, except for Hawkstar who was looking the other way.

The white she-cat turned to the crowd and watched them for a short moment. They all looked nervous and confused.

"Hello cats of all clans," she said loudly, grabbing their attention. "Today, we finally combine into one clan as Starclan instructed. First, I'll explain how things are going to happen.

"Fourtrees will be the new camp. Afterwards, everyone will have to go back to their camps and take anything useful you can find their for dens; remember we have to make them four times larger. Everyone will get to that after I'm done here.

"After that is done, we'll continue living normally together. We will still have border patrols and hunting parties as usual. Featherstar, Hawkstar and Wolfstar will act as deputies so they will help keep the order." She decided to leave out the part about the current deputies and let them figure that out for themselves. "But we can get more into that after the dens are completed."

Icestar explained everything she already told the other leaders and more. She made sure to mention everything that could possibly be on their minds, which took a while longer then she anticipated.

Before finishing, she had one more thing to say. "As of now, there are not four clans in the forest, but one. Finally, we can live a more peaceful lives; we no longer have to worry about being attacked by a rival clan every passing heartbeat. Now, as one clan, we shall be known as Forestclan as a symbol of our unity." She waited a moment, letting the new name sink in. "Now members of Forestclan, let's get to work and build out camp and our future!"

Many of the cats yowled in agreement and excitement. She was glad to see that her words got to most of them and they were now seeing it her way. She still saw a few cats who didn't join in (Such as Mapleshine) but that was no matter. The cats who supported Forestclan had the strength in numbers and that's all they needed.

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Immediately after her speech, the cats below all scattered out to gather supplies for the dens: except for the former Windclan cats. Having no dens before, there was nothing for them to get. So instead, Icestar told them to search the area for any good material: rocks, moss, brambles, large leaf, anything.

Mudwhisker padded up to the leader after the others have all gone.

"Icestar," he said emotionlessly.

"Yes?"

"Now that you have four deputies, that means I'm going to be another warrior, doesn't it?"

Icestar nodded. "Yeah."

His expression told her that that's what Mudwhisker expected to hear.

"I'm sorry," she managed to add. "You're a great deputy and I would like to you keep your job but that wouldn't be fair to the Featherstar, Hawkstar and Wolfstar."

"I know," the small tom said. "It's alright. It's been an honor. And I'll still be a warrior of Win- Forestclan."

Icestar smiled. Mudwhisker was a great cat to have around. The new clan needed warriors like him. "Thanks for taking it so well."

Mudwhisker walked away, off to search for something to help build dens. Not long after, cats began returning with their jaws filled with leaves and such. Many of them went straight to Icestar, asking where to put them. She told the group where she wanted each den. Leaders den by the Great Rock, Warriors den to it's right, the nursery next to that (hidden in the think bushes), elder's den on the left of the leaders den, and the apprentice den next to that. She was relieved that the area was already perfect for a camp. There were plenty of trees to help make the dens, a small gap going into the Great Rock, which was great for a den, and much more.

Icestar spent most of the day ordering the cats where to put what and working on the dens herself. Once the moon began to rise, she called it a day and told everyone to rest for the rest of the night. The dens weren't complete so they just made their own groups and chatted for a while. While relaxing, Icestar noticed that it seemed like her friends were making an effort to avoid her gaze. She found Rowanpelt, Bramblestripe and Breezetail together but they didn't look back at her. She even saw Redshade was looking away.

The leader also spotted Rainshadow. The former Shadowclan cat has been on her mind a few times since she last saw him before Riverclan attacked him. She was as glad to see he was alright and was even happier to remind herself that he should be pleased about being in the came clan as Bramblestripe. (Although she couldn't say the same for her.)

When it got darker, Icestar told the nearest deputy, which was Featherstar, that she would be gone for a while and left Fourtrees.

Knowing it was the place to go, Icestar paced back to Windclan camp, knowing it would be deserted. As she walked in the moonlight, Icestar knew it was a great time to think.

_I can't believe it's finally happening,_ Icestar thought. Everything that happened so far seemed to have gone by so quickly. It almost seemed too easy. Every cat was cooperating with her new rules and many supported her fully.

The she-cat paused when she reached the old camp; surprised to see she wasn't the only one there. The second cat was Shadowthorn. She nervously glanced around and ran up to her father. "What are you doing out in the open?" She asked him urgently.

"Don't worry," he said calmly. "I knew I would find you here. I noticed the clans are one at last. I liked your speech."

"Oh…" she stopped for a heartbeat. "You heard that?"

The dark tom nodded. "You had many of them convinced. They all think Starclan actually told you to do this."

After her fathers' complement, Icestar looked around her shoulder again. She had the nagging fear that someone would overhear them.

Noticing her worries, Shadowthorn dragged her attention back onto him. "Anyway, you still need to finish locking in the order you're trying to create."

"What do you mean?" she asked, looking back at him now.

"You need to make sure everyone gets the hang of things so it'll eventually feel like home to them. You need to think out everything, you understand?"

Icestar nodded. "I've already been thinking about that. I'll explain more issues as they come up. I can't overwhelm them."

Shadowthorn nodded. "Right. My plan isn't over yet though," he explained coolly. "Like I've been doing, I'll tell you the next step when we get there. For now, you should get some rest."

Icestar nodded and held back a yawn. "Alright… Goodnight."

Shadowthorn turned and ran off, heading for the forest but nowhere near Fourtrees. He wouldn't be found at the edge of Thunderclans' old territory.

Icestar watched him leave and turned around, about to head back to Forestclans' camp when she noticed a small bush shake slightly. Her anxious worries became stronger as she crept up closer to the bush, afraid to see anyone inside. Paw steps away, she let out a gasp as a small cat dashed out.

_Someone overheard me this whole time! _Icestar ran after the grey cat. Using her Windclan agility, she closed in on the cat before they even got close to the forest. She leaped and tacked to can, pinning him down.

"Nightwind!" She gasped when she realized who the cat was. There was fear in the dark grey toms' eyes but he was also determined.

"You and Shadowthorn have been planning this from the start! I've heard about him from the other medicine cats and I know what he did and I know what you're doing," he said boldly, still trying to struggle tree. Icestar however was much larger then him and easily held him down. "You made up everything about Starclan telling you to do this! This is why Cloudheart warned me!"

"Calm down," she commanded, tired of all his yelling. "Don't interfere with my plans," she told him in a dangerously quite tone. "Too many cats support me to stop this now. Soon, even Starclan will see that I am right."

"Y-you can't do this, Icestar," Nightwind told her. "If I can't, Starclan still stop you."

Icestar smiled, remembering Shadowthorns' dead friends. "Even some from Starclan support Forestclan. If you insist on getting in my way, I'll make sure you regret it!" That silenced the young tom. Icestar looked into his eyes, seeing how much fear was really there.

She got off of him, to Nightwinds surprise. He stood back up, wondering if he should run or not. The intimidation from Icestars expression was gone.

"I'm sorry," she said quietly. "I'm just tired. I didn't mean to threaten you like that." Nightwinds shock was very obvious. "But you have to look at this in another way," she explained. "Starclan just doesn't understand how this is better yet. And that's why you don't understand either. You only see this from Starclans' perspective. Try to think about the clan. Just imagine; we wont have any wars, our only enemies now are rogues and other animals." Icestar wondered but didn't bother to ask why he followed her anyway.

"I don't know," the grey tom said, looking at his paws. "I can't just ignore the warnings I've gotten."

"I understand," the leader meowed. "Just wait and see how this turns out, okay? No one can know if this is truly good or bad until it happens."

Nightwind hesitated and sighed before looking back up at the leader. "Alright, I'll wait a while before saying anything."

Icestar smiled. "Thank you. Now we should both get back to camp."

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**A/N: I feel like this is badly rushed… Oh well; everyone will see more of Forestclan in the sequel. **

**One more chapter! =D I can't believe it's almost over. (About time)**

**Remember: After Path of Ice, I will go back and fix all the errors before writing the sequel so that may take a while.**

**Also, after Chapter 49, I will have one more chapter up for this, which will be the first chapter of the sequel. So watch for that.**

**Thanks for reading and please review!**

**Have a nice day~**


	49. ForestClan

_Chapter 49_

The next morning, Icestar woke up in her uncompleted den next to the Great Rock. It felt strange to wake up in a forest. Icestar knew some of the warriors who used to be in Windclan and Riverclan would have more trouble adapting then those from Thunderclan and Shadowclan.

The leader didn't get much sleep thanks to the events that took place the day before. The whole night, Icestar has been busy wondering if Nightwind was lying and went to go tell everyone about Shadowthorn. She constantly told herself that he wouldn't do that but it seemed to be impossible to forget about the nagging feeling that bugged her.

The she-cat walked out of the half built den to see the camp was already alive at dawn, though most of the warriors weren't awake yet. The cats who were already up were busy with the construction of the dens. She also noted that there weren't any cats outside that didn't support Forestclan. All those who were against the idea must not have been bothered to get up yet. Understandable but Icestar knew she had to do something about that later. She needed to get every cat to understand that one clan is better than four.

Icestar saw Featherstar talking to Bluefoot, the old Riverclan deputy. The white she-cat walked up to them.

"Icestar," Featherstar said before the leader could speak. "I've been meaning to speak to you." Icestar sat down in front of her and the she-cat continued. "Hawkstar, Wolfstar and I were arguing last night. With three of us, we're fighting over what each deputy does." The cats tone told Icestar that she wasn't happy being a deputy again. The others probably felt the same.

"I've been thinking about that too," Icestar informed her, glad she thought ahead. "I want Hawkstar focusing on border patrols and you to focus on hunting parties. Just to keep things organized. But the three of you will still act like normal deputies except for that part."

"What about Wolfstar?"

"Oh, he'll do a little of all of that, I guess." Icestar noticed that Wolfstar seemed more supportive of the idea then the others. Like them of course, he still didn't like losing his rank as leader but seemed to see things the way Icestar did when it came to survival.

Featherstar nodded and padded away. She didn't look too content with Icestar's answer but she dismissed the thought; that wasn't important. As long as Featherstar was going to set up some hunting parties, Icestar didn't have to worry about her. And hopefully, she would pass the message on to the other deputies.

_That reminds me, _the she-cat thought. _I need to get their names changed…_ Icestar has been pondering whether or not to change the old leaders' names. They are stronger with nine lives but they are no longer leaders and shouldn't have 'star' in their names. _I'll do that after the camp is set up._

"Hey Icestar," said a voice from behind her. She turned around and was somewhat surprised to see Redshade followed by some others. Behind him were Rainshadow and Greyshadow. Icestar idly noticed that both of their names ended with shadow.

"Hi Redshade. What is it?"

"We were wondering if we could go hunting. We're not too sure to ask."

"I just set Featherstar in charge of hunting parties. But sure, you guys can go. Glad to see you participating, Redshade," she said the last part quietly, remembering their last conversation.

The red tom nodded cheerfully. "Thanks," he said and left the camp with the others.

_Maybe he's finally starting to understand. _Icestar watched them disappear into the forest before continuing with her day.

More cats were beginning to wake up now. A lot of them got started on the dens right away while others moved a little slower. As Icestar watched the clan move, she still had a bad feeling about something. It felt like she missed something; like she's moving too fast through this and forgot about something but couldn't figure it out. She also felt that the cats were still confused and unsure about what to do or what will happen next but knew that would go away in time. She was sure that almost every cat in the camp had several questions but didn't want to ask.

At the moment, there wasn't much for Icestar to do. Everyone seemed to know what they were doing. She stood where she was for a moment then got an idea.

Icestar quickly found Hawkstar. He was talking to some cats who were from Thunderclan. (Not surprising)

"I need to tell you something," she told the tom and the others left obligingly. "I'm leaving you in charge of border patrols, okay?"

"Alright," he said flatly. "And I would like to go on the first one. So I'll set this one up but you can handle them all after that." Hawkstar nodded and Icestar left him to make her patrol.

She chose the cats carefully. She planned to explain how the new patrols would work so they could explain to the other warriors. The cats who joined her are Mudwhisker, Bluefoot, Thustlescar and Frostheart. She chose the former deputies, knowing they would take it seriously and the other warriors would listen to them.

They started by going down to the border between Riverclan and Thunderclan. On the way, she explained how the patrols would work. "There will be two patrols out at a time," she started to the warriors following her through the forest. "One would take half, and the other would take half. So one patrol would check the borders of Riverclan and Thunderclan while another would take Windclan and Shadowclan." She couldn't help but use the old clan names to explain. "Hawkstar will order all of that out for the next patrols. "As usual, there will be a dawn patrol and a night patrol. So really, not much has changed."

The cats didn't have any questions or many comments because the whole thing was pretty self-explanatory. But Icestar didn't mind since it just made the patrol easier for her.

.

When the five of them were done with the patrol, Icestar decided to get some lone hunting done. "You guys go ahead back to camp," she told them. "I won't take long." She told them this right before entering the camp. She was on its outskirts. Since the camp was in a clearing, it was easy to say she _was_ in camp.

The leader turned around and jumped at the sudden sight. Redshade, Rainshadow and Greyshadow somehow managed to come behind her without her noticing. She didn't question why but all three of them had a very serious expression. And even stranger, they had no prey.

"Uh, hey guys," she said casually. "How was the hunting?"

"We need to tell you something," Greyshadow said quickly.

Icestar tilted her head. Something wasn't right. "Alright… What is it?"

"I'm going to give you one more chance-"Redshade started. "-Separate the clan back into four _now_."

"What?" Icestar exclaimed, shocked. Redshade made her think that he wasn't on that anymore. "You know I can't do that. It's Starclans instructions." _Did Nightwind already tell them?_

"Save it," he told her sternly. "That excuse won't work on me anymore."

Icestar opened her mouth to speak but honestly didn't know what to say until she managed to find her voice again. "What exactly are you saying here?"

"I'm saying that the three of us know that this isn't right. We need to go back to four clans!"

"Or what?" Icestar growled, accepting his challenge. She noticed in the corner of her eye, some cats from the camp noticed their conversation and looked their way.

"Or we'll make you!" Redshade shot back.

"We don't want anything to do with Forestclan," Rainshadow said from next to him. Icestar was very disappointed that two of her friends were turning on her.

She hid her feelings and focused back on Redshade. "And how do you plan on doing that?"

"We'll leave this clan and fight back. I refuse to be a part of this and I know many warriors agree with me. We'll bring things back to how they are supposed to be."

Icestar narrowed her eyes and forced herself to stay calm. She was about to speak but paused when she noticed a crowd was gathering around them. _Oh great, _she thought to herself. _Now we created a scene. _"There's nothing to see here," she told the cats who gathered. "Please go back to building the dens."

"No!" Redshade said loudly. "Let them watch." He turned to the spectators boldly. "We all know that this isn't right; this can't be the will of Starclan. Icestar refuses to understand that and now we have all been forced to live together in a clan that wasn't supposed to be made! I know I'm not the only one who believes this. Rainshadow and Greyshadow agree with me! I know more do to! Icestar may say that this is the will of Starclan but how come _we _haven't gotten any proof? The other leaders may have also gotten signs but that's not good enough! So we will rebel and bring this clan back into four! We will fight for balance! Who's with me?"

Icestar turned to the crowd, panicking, to see their reaction. Some cats looked very conflicted while others looked upset. "You're wrong," a cat said from the crowd. The cat who spoke was Dawnpaw, Redshades' apprentice.

Icestar glanced back at Redshade; the tom looked torn and betrayed. "Dawnpaw, how could you say that?" He demanded.

The orange she-cat looked at her mentor directly in the eye. She seemed to have neither fear nor sympathy. "You're stubbornness has blinded you," the apprentice said. The way she spoke didn't sound like an average apprentice. "What Icestar is doing is a great thing! She's trying to save us from killing ourselves and you turn against her? You're wrong," she repeated herself. Dawnpaw sounded more like a scolding mentor. She seemed to support Forestclan completely.

"I agree," another voice said. Bluefire stepped out. The former Shadowclan she-cat stood next to the apprentice. Icestar didn't expect her of all cats; Icestar remembered their fight by the border so long ago.

Redshade began to look worried. "Well someone out there must agree with me; who misses living in their own clan?"

"I do," said another voice. Now Icestar was just as shocked as Redshade was before when she saw Mapleshine step forward. Her apprentice avoided Icestars' gaze. "I hate this idea of one clan. This isn't the way it's supposed to be!" the walked confidently from the sidelines over to Redshades side.

"Mapleshine," Icestar whispered, unsure of what else to say. She was about to add but another cat spoke over her.

"How could you side with them?" Rockstorm asked her. He stepped out of the gathered cats and stood about a fox length away from his sister.

"Because I don't believe in Forestclan," she replied. It seemed to hurt her to say it to her brother but she was still determined.

A she-cat quickly stepped next to Greyshadow. Icestar knew the cat was Flowertail, Greyshadows mate. They were the parents of Dawnpaw. It pained Icestar to see this feud was tearing the family apart. "Neither do I."

"Flowertail," Greyshadow said to her in a gentle voice. "I'm so glad you agree with me." They looked at each other and smiled.

Another she-cat stepped forward; one Icestar hasn't spoken to in quite a while. It was Streampaw; the apprentice who Icestar once convinced to stay with Riverclan instead of running away after her father died. "I support Icestar," the light blue apprentice announced. She stood next to Bluefire, Rockstorm and Dawnpaw. "I never liked fighting since my father was killed but now, I will fight for my new clan if that's what it takes to make peace!"

"Well then," Redshade crouched down, ready to attack. "Maybe that is what it'll take; five against five!" The warriors behind him, Rainshadow, Mapleshine, Greyshadow and Flowertail, all did the same, prepared to fight for the four clans.

Icestar didn't stand now from his challenge and she still wasn't going to. "Alright, I accept." She tensed her muscles, expecting the four cats on her side would get ready as well; which they did. "Alright Forestclan," she began. "Let's show these rebels."

Redshade lunged forward and hissed. Icestar jumped out of the way with her superior agility, turned, and clawed his side. The tom turned and jumped on his hind legs before falling back on her, clawing her shoulder when she tried to back away.

Meanwhile, Mapleshine and Rockstorm fought. It was hard to imagine how they must have felt but they attacked anyway.

Dawnpaw attacked her father, Greyshadow, with no sign of remorse or hesitation. This surprised the tom and also hurt him emotionally, giving her the upper paw.

Flowertail managed to pin Streampaw to the ground. But being an older apprentice, Streampaw pushed the warrior off and retaliated, biting her hind leg.

That left Bluefire and Rainshadow to fight. The two Shadowclan cats fought with courage, both believing in what they were fighting for. Bluefire quickly got around Rainshadow and clawed his back and followed with biting at his tail. Rainshadow pulled his tail away before she could, turned, and clawed her chest. He jumped at her as she tried to dodge but pinned her down.

The fighting continued on for what seemed like a while. Icestar felt completely oblivious to the clan watching from all sides.

She struck her claw out at him but Redshade reeled back and swiped his claw at her front legs. Catching her off guard, she lost her balance and staggered. At that moment, he abandoned their battle to assist Flowertail as she fought Streampaw. The apprentice was a much better fighter then she let on.

Icestar followed and basically traded with Redshade when Flowertail left Streampaw to him and turned to the leader. She orange she-cat tackled Icestar but the white cat kicked her away with her hind legs when she landed on her back. Flowertail fought with a lot of energy despite her only daughter turning against her.

Icestar quickly ran up to Flowertail and slashed at her side when she was trying to get back up. Flowertail growled from the pain and dodged Icestars next attack on her face. Icestar was yet to notice that she didn't have a single thought as she attacked the rebel.

Flowertail turned to Icestar and moved forward to claw her again but Icestar, being less injured, broke through her attack and raked her claw against the she-cats neck. Flowertail gasped and backed up before she fell to the ground motionlessly. Icestar froze down to the core when she noticed the she-cat was dead.

She stared at the lifeless body, her heart racing, shocked with that just happened. The yowled of surprise rose from the crowd around them and broke up the fighting. All the cats noticed Flowertail and dead and the blood that covered Icestars' paws.

"Flowertail," Greyshadow gasped in horror and ran to his mates' side. "Flowertail, no! Not like this!" Other that the tom, there was only silence.

"Y-you killed her," he exclaimed, still gazing at the blood that pooled from the orange she-cats body.

Redshade also looked down on the body then back at Icestar. "Just look at what you've become," he whispered quietly, glaring at her with a cold gaze. Greyshadow slowly stood back on his paws. His expression was still filled with pure shock and horror.

The silence was broken when Icestar heard a cat walk out of the crowd. "Icestar," the voice said quietly. She turned to see it was Breezetail. He looked almost as horrified as Greyshadow at what just happened. "W-what are you turning into?"

Icestar was taken back by this. "What do you mean? It was an accident! I didn't mean t-"

"You didn't mean to?" Breezetail demanded. "I saw what happened; you aimed for her neck!" His voice broke at the end, obviously in a very struggling state.

"I didn't mean to," Icestar repeated in a soft tone. She was just as surprised and felt her paws shaking.

"Icestar, enough of this," he pleaded. "Where is the old Icestar?"

"I'm still the same cat!" She told him, now harsher.

He shook his head. "No you're not! Where is the cat who was once a rogue? Where is the cat who saved me from the rogues? Where is the Icestar that I fell in love with?"

Icestar didn't notice she was holding her breath until she felt her lungs begging for air. There was a long pause. "Love?" She muttered softly.

There was nervousness mixed with several other emotions when she looked into his eyes. "Yes," he finally admitted. "Icestar; I've loved you since you joined but I didn't realize until I really got to know you… I've spent so many moons trying to get you to notice me and love me back but you've always been busy." At last, it hit her. Icestar thought back to every memory they shared and realized how obvious he made it; she's been too blinded by everything else to notice that the tom has been trying to get her attention.

"Breezetail, I'm sorry. I never noticed…"

"I've had enough," he added. "Please just take things back to normal. I've always loved you but you're not the same cat now. Please Icestar…"

Breezetails begging almost made Icestar to want to take everything back. To go back in time and enjoy the time they had together. Almost. "I can't," she whispered. "Not after all I've been through. This- Forestclan is my life now. I can't give it all away now."

Breezetails expression of desperation didn't' change. He dipped his head and stared at his paws. "I understand," he said regretfully.

"If you want to join the rebellion, I won't stop you," Icestar told him after a few heartbeats of nothing. She didn't want her friend to leave but she didn't want him to stay and feel like she's keeping him prisoner.

He shook his head and looked back up at her. "No. I won't be leaving." Icestar would be feeling relieved but she was still so shocked to learn that he loved her for so many moons and she never figured it out. He always wanted to be more then friends and she ignored him subconsciously. But she still had to ask herself; was he more than a friend to her?

Her thoughts were interrupted when Redshade broke in. "You've blinded yourself," he told her simply and took his small group out of Fourtrees and they disappeared into the forest.

.

"Like Icestar said, we are rebelling," Redshade told what was left of the group. It was just him, Rainshadow, Mapleshine and Greyshadow. He was trying to keep the scene with Breezetail and the leader out of his head. He didn't want to start getting sympathetic in such a time.

"Where are we even going to go?" Mapleshine asked the red tom.

Redshade thought for a moment. I already have a placed picked out; we're going to the barn."

"The barn?" Rainshadow echoed. "Isn't that where Icestar was born? Why would we go there?"

"Because she wouldn't expect it," he answered as they traveled out of the forest and into the moor. The fierce wind forced them to speak louder just to hear each other.

"But there are so many of them," Greyshadow mentioned, still trying to get over to loss of his mate.

Redshade nodded to himself. "Yes but they all watched what happened. I bet more don't like being in Forestclan either but didn't want to say anything. We need dedicated cats to join our little rebellion; those who strongly agree will find us. We'll have more members in time."

The four outcasts fought against the wind straight through what was once Windclan territory. Mapleshine struggled a little less than the others, being raised in the moor.

None of them knew what was going to happen and they were all taking a huge risk on their lives. Redshade knew Icestar was changing. By turning against her, the four cats where risking their lives. The new leader was walking down a dark path and for the safety of every cat in the forest, he needed to stop her.

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Icestar returned to her den as soon as Redshade and his friends left. She needed to be by herself and think everything through. She was still mentally unbalanced after killing Flowertail then learning that Breezetail loved her. The betrayal from her friends didn't help either. She knew she needed to get some extra sleep that night.

_They all think I've changed, _Icestar reminded herself. _Maybe they're right. But either way, it's for the better. I will bring peace to the forest. I don't care about how I turn out in the end; this isn't about me!_

Just thinking was getting Icestar stressed out. She got more comfortable in her nest and returned to her thoughts. _Redshade, Starclan, they're all wrong. They want to return to a more violent time; a time when too many cats would die and nothing could be done about it. Until now; I changed that. I will end the death and fighting even if I have to risk my whole life. I made the vow. I said I would protect my clan even at the risk on my own life and I will do just that._

Icestar closed her eyes; hoping sleep would take her soon. Still in her thoughts, she white she-cat began to smile. She had confidence that in the end, everything will be alright for her. She will rule the forest in an endless era of peace next to her father.

_With Shadowthorn and Forestclan on my side, no one can stop me. Under my rule over the forest, today marks the beginning of my battle for peace against the rebels. Yes… This is the beginning of Icestars' reign. _

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**A/N: And that concludes The Path of Ice. Breezetail finally admit his love and betrayal strike from friends. Good times.**

**First, I would just like to thank everyone who read this all the way through and reviewed and even the people who didn't review. It's been great and I think I've become a much better write in the past few months. **

**But it's not over yet; I have one more chapter the post. It will be the first chapter of the sequel, ****Icestar's Reign****. So I suggest, follow or favorite me as the author so you know when the sequel comes out. If you don't want to, I suppose you could bookmark my profile or something like that… I could make a list of people to message when it comes out…. That's also an option. **

**By the way, I got a new laptop! Woo!**

**Also, after a post the preview, I will take a while to go through every past chapter in search for errors. I have no idea how long that will take.**

**Anyway, thank you for sticking with me this long and I can't believe this story is finally over. I'm kind of sad about that. Oh well; I have to move on. **

**Have a great day!**


	50. Icestars' Reign

_Icestars' Reign Preview~_

Icestar has finally conquered the forest and renamed the four combined  
clans Forestclan. Although she is the leader, not every cat is on her side. A  
rebellion soon rises with plans to defeat her and return the great clan back  
into four. Will they succeed or is Icestar just too powerful? As the battle  
rages, Icestar is yet to realize the rebellion isn't her only enemy.  
(This is the summary so far. It may be changed but I doubt it)

_Chapter 1_

Icestar was slowly getting used to waking up without the moor wind blowing in her ears. _I guess that's what happens what I combined the clans and moved them to Fourtrees, _the leader thought in her den one morning.

Much has changed for the cats since Icestar convinced them to join together over a moon ago. The new Forestclan dens were completed a few quarter moons ago thanks to the hard work of the large clan. Cats were beginning to get comfortable in their new home and territory. Life was just starting to feel normal.

At least, for the others; Icestar still had much on her mind. The white-she cat often gazed off into the forest with her bright blue eyes, wondering where Redshade was. Since the former Thunderclan tom left the clan to build a rebellion, she has seen no trace of him or the others who left with him. Because of his betrayal, she had to give his apprentice, Dawnpaw, to Sunclaw. And because the former Shadowclan cat, Rainshadow, also joined the rebellion, she gave his apprentice, Oakpaw, to the former Thunderclan she-cat, Mosspelt.

Redshade was never too far from her thoughts; she missed his friendship but she knew she had to put that behind her for the sake of Forestclan.

The rebellion hated the idea of one clan and their goal was to separate Forestclan back into four. Icestar was planning on doing everything in her power to make sure they fail. She and her father have put too much into the clan for them to just tear it apart. They only had three warriors at the moment but were still a threat.

Shadowthorn, Icestars' father, hasn't been seen for a while either. He isn't welcome to the clan. In fact, no one other then she and a medicine cat, Nightwind, knew he's alive. And that's only because the grey tom decided to spy in on their conversation one night. Icestar remembered it well.

The leaders' thoughts were interrupted when her three deputies walked it. They were once the other clan leaders. After Starclan supposedly choosing Icestar to lead them, they have been demoted.

"Hello Hawkwing, Featherstripe and Wolfclaw." She had them change their names back to their warrior names without taking them to the moonstone. Icestar insisted that having nine lives would only make the whole clan stronger. It look a lot of argument but Icestar won thanks to her position as leader. She couldn't have them talk to Starclan since Starclan is currently against her idea. The clan doesn't know that little fact though. She also managed to keep the medicine cats at camp during the clan quarter moon, claiming the clan needs them and that they are already in the same clan so there is no need to meet at the Moonstone. They'll put up more of a fight next time.

"Streampaw and Dawnpaw are waiting," Wolfclaw announced.

"Already?" The white she-cat meowed. "They must be excited. I don't want to keep them waiting," she added and walked out of the leader den with the deputies following. Icestar turned and leaped onto the Great Rock which was also used for her den and called the clan meeting. Since the camp is now much large, she had to yell much louder.

"All cats old enough to catch their own prey, gather beneath the Great Rock for a clan meeting!" The message spread and soon, the rock was surrounded by cats. Streampaw and Dawnpaw where already up on the Great Rock. "Today is a special day for Forestclan; we have two new warriors to welcome into the clan. I, leader of Forestclan, call upon my warrior ancestors to look down on these apprentices. They have trained hard to understand the ways of your noble code, and I commend them to you as warriors in their turn.

"Streampaw, do you promise to uphold the warrior code and protect and defend your clan even at the cost of your own life?" Streampaw was once in Riverclan. Icestar decided to make her a warrior for fighting the rebels before they left the clan.

"I do," the she-cats said, eyes shining. Streampaw, like Dawnpaw, loved the idea of one clan and showed she would fight for it. The apprentice usually wasn't a fan of fighting to begin with, which made Icestar more impressed.

"Then by the powers of Starclan, I give you your warrior name. Streampaw, from this moment on, you will be known as Streamheart. Starclan honors your courage and we welcome you as a full warrior of Forestclan." Icestar took a step forward and touched the new warriors head with her muzzle and Streamheart licked her shoulder.

Streampaw stepped away while Dawnpaw came up next. "Dawnpaw, from this moment on, you will be known as Dawnfall. Starclan honors your loyalty." The orange she-cat also fought the rebels, including her mentor, Redshade, and her parents, Greyshadow and Flowertail who also wanted to join them. She proved herself well. Icefur lightly touched her head as she licked the leaders' shoulder.

The two new warriors turned to the large crowd as they cheered their names. "Streamheart, Dawnfall! Streamheart, Dawnfall!"

"You two will sit the silent vigil tonight. Clan meeting dismissed." The clan, four times larger than a normal clan, scattered. When the two she-cats jumped down, they were surrounded by friends and family.

Streamheart had a sister; Frostpaw. She was probably mad her sister was made a warrior before her. Streamheart had mostly former Riverclan cats around her, which was understandable, but there were a few others too. Like Oakpaw and Leafpaw where there too. They were the only other warrior apprentices.

Dawnfall, on the other paw, didn't really have many cats to talk to. Some came over to say congratulations but that's all. Her brother and sister died right after birth and her mother died by Icestars' claws when she joined Redshade. Her father lived and left with the rebellion. The she-cat seemed to have no regrets about fighting them; she was never popular anyway.

Sympathetic for Dawnfall, Icestar jumped down and walked up to the orange cat. "Are you excited?" She asked her plainly.

Dawnfall shrugged. "I'm excited to protect Forestclan, so yeah," she said with an emotionless expression. She was always so serious…

"That's good," Icestar told her and sat down next to her. "I know you'll always be loyal."

"Unlike my traitor mentor," Dawnfall pointed out, shifting her weight.

"Yeah… You'll start your vigil with Streamheart before you know it," Icestar said, changing the subject. "Make sure to get something to eat before then."

Dawnfall nodded. "I will," she meowed simply.

"Good," Icestar muttered and stood up. "Well I have some things to do…"

Dawnfall stood up as well. "Alright," she said not quite under her breath and walked away to break Streamheart out of the crowd.

Icestar watched for a brief moment before turning away to look for her friends, Rowanpelt, Bramblestripe or Breezetail. Honestly, she would rather find the first two first. Since Breezetail admitted his love for her, it's been awkward between the two. She's been too busy with the clan to even decide if she loved him back. She didn't even know what love felt like.

To make matters worse, Icestar noticed her friends were avoiding her. Ever since she absentmindedly killed Flowertail, no one came to her just to chat like they usually did. It's like they were afraid of her.

Redshade told her she changed when she killed his old clanmate. She refuses to believe it. _Of course I changed, _Icestar reminded herself constantly. _We all change. But I haven't become a murderous tyrant like he wants everyone to think._

Icestar shook her head, trying to forget about Redshade and that he said. She noticed the medicine cats were all gathered outside. Heatherwish, Nightwind, Firestripe, Coldstone, Goldenfur and Whillowleaf; they were all there. Except for Echopaw, the leader noticed when she walked over.

"Where's Echopaw?" Icestar asked when she reached the six of them.

"That's what we were talking about," Firestripe replied. "We haven't seen her all day."

Heatherwish added, "This isn't the first time. She's been disappearing for a while every few days recently."

_How have I not noticed this? _"Has anyone seen her last night?"

"I saw her before I went to sleep," Nightwind informed them. "She either left last night or this morning."

As the cats pondered what has happened to the apprentice, Echopaw padded into camp. She looked tired and worn out. The medicine cats and Icestar quickly joined the silver she-cat?

"Where have you been?" her mentor demanded.

"I'm sorry Coldstone, everyone," the young cat started. "I don't know what you're talking about." The tone of her voice made it very clear how tired she was.

"You haven't been in camp since last night," Goldenfur pointed out.

Echopaw hesitated for a moment. "I uh, I was out looking for herbs," she said, more directly at Coldstone. "I wanted to impress you by finding some in other parts of the territory that I don't know so well but I couldn't find anything."

Coldstone didn't look too convinced, as well as the others, but he let it go. "Just tell me next time." The tom padded away. Echopaw left and walked into the bigger medicine cat den to get some rest.

Icestar didn't know how many medicine cats believed her but Icestar sure didn't. Echopaws' hesitation told her that she was lying and just made up the excuse that moment. The white she-cat however didn't have the time to think about it for long before she spotted Bramblestripe leaving the warrior den.

"Bramblestripe!" Icestar called to her friend and padded over to the grey and black she-cat.

"Oh, hi Icestar," she responded. "What's up?" Bramblestripe didn't sound as casual as she usually did. Since Flowertails' death, it seemed like Icestars' friends were afraid to say something and upset her.

"Not much," she replied calmly. "Just wanted to ask how you're doing."

"I'm fine. But Featherstripe wants me to go hunting so I better get going."

"I'll go with you," Icestar added as the she-cat began to back away.

"Great," Bramblestripe said and they walked over to the edge of camp. In the hunting party were Spottedfire, Longpelt and Leopardfang. They didn't say anything against Icestar joining them but welcomed her.

Hunting with them was much less entertaining then Icestar anticipated. Every time she wanted to talk to Bramblestripe, her friend would only give one word answers, trying to hint to the leader that she didn't want to chat. Icestar wasn't sure if it was because she just didn't want to talk to her or because she was busy hunting.

Icestar eventually gave up and forced herself to focus on the prey instead.

When they returned, Icestar caught a mouse and two rabbits. The others didn't want to hunt in the moor at first but Icestar managed to bring them there since she wasn't having much luck in the forest.

Icestar dropped the prey in the fresh-kill pile and turned to Bramblestripe. "So how's Breezetail doing?"

"He's fine," Bramblestripe said plainly. Icestar waited for her to farther explain. "I guess he still wants an answer from you; he's thinking you don't like him the same way."

Icestar shifted her weight. "I don't know. I've been so occupied; I don't know what to think." Bramblestripe was starting to act more like her old self. "What about you and Rainshadow?" Icestar asked, changing the topic.

She shook her head. "I wish he didn't leave but…" her voice trailed off. Icestar didn't know what she was going to say and was starting to get tired of the conversation anyway.

"Alright… I'll talk to you later." The white she-cat turned and walked away.

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When she left her den after the sun set, Icestar was reminded that leaf-bare was coming once again when she was welcomed by the cool night air.

There were still a few cats in the camp but Icestar could easily slip past them. She ran behind the dens until she got out of camp. Icestar has gotten used to being awake during the night; at first, it messed up her sleeping habits but its' gotten better.

The white cat trotted through the moor, heading to the old Windclan camp. The powerful winds gave her a great, familiar feeling.

When she arrived at the camp, it hasn't changed at all. Windclan was the only den that didn't get taken apart since they don't have dens. The only differences was the absents of life. Instead of cats everywhere she turned, it was empty. Until she turned to the Tallrock and saw her father appear next to it.

"Hello Icestar," he spoke up first. Icestar walked up to him. "How's the clan?"

"It's going well," she told him, thinking back to during the day. "Everyone is getting more comfortable and they're not fighting with each other much."

Shadowthorn nodded. "Good. I plan to join soon."

Icestar had to take a moment to register what he said. When she understood at last, her head snapped in his direction. "What? How do you plan on doing that? You were exiled!"

"I know that," Shadowthorn said in a tone like he had to repeat himself several times. "It's all a part of the plan. I'll tell you more details later."

Icestar tilted her head and frowned. She wanted answers at that moment but it couldn't be helped. "Alright…"

"So what's going on with that little rebellion?"

Icestar sighed. "I hardly know. I haven't seen them since they left the clan over a moon ago. I don't think anyone left to join them either."

Shadowthorn smiled very faintly like he found that amusing. "They're fighting a loss cause," he said, shaking his head. "They're afraid to show their faces in front of you. A few cats are no match for Forestclan."

"That's what I was thinking," Icestar told him, looking out at the forest, wondering once again where Redshade was.

There were a few heartbeats of silence. Shadowthorn watched his daughter closely until he finally said, "Don't worry Icestar." The white she-cat turned to him again. "In time, you'll be able to kill them all off. With your own claws if you have to."

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**A/N: Well, that was Chapter one of Icestars' Reign. When I make the new story, I will start it with two chapters; this, and chapter two.**

**The sequel is now up and running. You can easily find it on my profile. **

**It's been a blast, writing Path of Ice, but now it's over.**

**On another note, I just want to thank everyone again. It's been great; I never dreamed my story would be this popular. [Shout out to Velvetpaw for giving me my 300****th**** review!] So thank you, everyone, for reading and I'm so happy that everyone loved it. It's been quite an adveture. And it's not over.**

**Have a nice day~**


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